Else Feistner

Else Feistner, age 102, died Sunday, October 24, 2021, at Bethel Lutheran Home in Madison. Funeral services will be 10:30 AM, Wednesday, October 27, 2021, at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Redfield. Burial will follow at the Tulare Cemetery. A prayer service will be at 7 PM, Tuesday, at St. John Lutheran Church in Madison.

Else Stellmacher was born in a farm house near Hitchcock, SD, on October 19, 1919, to Reinhold and Sophie (Witte) Stellmacher. She attended a one-room school near the farm until high school where she attended in Tulare. Else and her two brothers Erich and Herbert worked on the family farm near Hitchcock following her education. Her only job away from the farm was helping area farmer’s wives cook for the threshing crews that were harvesting grain.

On April 24, 1946, she married Harold Feistner. After the wedding, they moved to the Feistner homestead near Ramona, but it wasn’t long before a farm near Hitchcock became available and they moved there to be closer to her family.

She was a dedicated mother, raising the children while Harold worked. Else loved life on the farm, and she always took pride in raising 700 laying hens each year. She would sell eggs to all of their neighbors, which allowed her to keep up on all of the things going on in the community. Her second love was her garden, she loved growing vegetables that she could can and store away for the winter.

Else loved her faith and Jesus. Throughout the years, she attended several churches that were very important to her including: the Lutheran Church in Crandon, SD which later dissolved, Our Savior Luther Church in Redfield, and lastly, St. John Lutheran Church in Madison where she was heavily involved. She was part of the quilting group and was always helping in the church kitchen.

She is survived by her children, Ruth (Larry) Peterson of MN, Mary of Madison, and Roger of Sioux Falls; grandchildren Aaron (Paula) Peterson of CO, Taylor Feistner of NY, Brandon & Nick Feistner of IA; and one great-grandson Rory.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband in 1981; one daughter Marlys; and one brother Erich.

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