Duane Ellis, 90, of Brookings, passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020, at the Neighborhoods at Brookview. A private family service will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, at the United Parish in Elkton at 1 p.m. with military rites immediately after the funeral. The service will be live streamed and can be found here https://www.facebook.com/upminister at the time of the service. There will be a time of visitation the evening prior, Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, at Eidsness Funeral Chapel in Elkton, from 5 to 7 p.m. Masks are required in the funeral home. Duane will be buried at Black Hills National Cemetery on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020, at 10 a.m. Mountain Time.
Duane A. Ellis was born on Aug. 14, 1930, in Canton, South Dakota, the son of Milton and Marjorie (Hicks) Ellis. Duane grew up on the family farm and received his education in Canton. He was a graduate of the Canton High School in 1948. He attended South Dakota State College in Brookings, South Dakota, and received his B.S. degree in Agriculture in 1952. Duane served in the United States Army from 1952 until his discharge in 1954, during the Korean Conflict. From 1954 until 1955, he taught Agriculture and General Science in Roslyn, South Dakota, and from 1955 until 1956, in Miller, South Dakota. He then started farming in the spring of 1955, near Elkton, South Dakota, and expanded his farming operation over the years. He was united in marriage to Irma Duwenhoegger on April 1, 1978. In 2011, they moved to Brookings after retiring from the farm.
Duane was a member of the First United Methodist Church. He served as the president of the Board of Directors Elkton Farmer’s Union for over ten years. He was also a member of the Elkton American Legion Post 198, past member of the Elkton Commercial Club, and past member and president of the Soil Conservation District Board of Supervisors. Duane also was published for his SDSU studies on Minimum Tillage. He enjoyed fishing and reading.
Duane is survived by his wife, Irma, of Brookings, SD; two sisters: Betty Yeager, of Sioux Falls, SD and Virginia (Raymond) Kurtz, of Elk Point, SD; special nephew and niece Ed (Marsha) Timm of Elkton, SD; and several other nephews and nieces.
Duane was preceded in death by his parents and three sisters: Donna Timm, June Kleffman, and Patricia Mueller.
