Elsie Frieda Kortmeyer was born November 19, 1921 to Rudolph and Bertha (Ring) Willuweit at their family home south of Burke near Jamison, Nebraska.  Elsie died Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at the Avera Rosebud Country Care Center in Gregory, South Dakota at the age of 99 years.

She was baptized at the Lutheran Church west of Naper, Nebraska and Later confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Jamison, Nebraska.  She grew up on the family farm and was the first born and had one brother and four sisters.  She attended the Klug Country School through the eighth grade.  As a young woman she worked out on the neighboring farms doing "hired girl" chores.

On November 2, 1946 she married Henry Julius Kortmeyer at the Immanuel Lutheran Church.  They lived and farmed south of Burke for 28 years.  They raised six children: Linda, Harlan, Elaine, Karen, Connie (deceased) and Gary.  She was a  kind and loving mother, grandmother and friend.  She had a strong Christian faith and looked forward to attending her weekly church services and Ladies Aide meetings.  Elsie and Henry were honored as being the only couple from Immanuel who were part of the congregation their entire lives.

In 1974 they moved to Burke.  She worked parttime helping Henry plant trees for the Soil Conservation Service and as a substitute for the courthouse janitor.  Grandkids often landed on her doorstep after school.  She was an expert at making pancakes, lemonade and picking fruit for jellies and jams.  She especially loved mulberries.

Henry left this earthly world on September 13, 2007.  In May of 2015 she entered the Haisch Haus assisted living in Bonesteel, South Dakota.  In May of 2019, she entered the Avera Rosebud Country Care Center and remained there until her passing.

Elsie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; her daughter, Connie; her grandson, Jeremy Kortmeyer; her brother, Ervin Willuweit; her sisters: Vera Papousek and Lena Miller and a son-in-law, Gerald McKnight.

Elsie is survived by her children: Linda, McKnight of St Paul, NE; Harlan (Susan) Kortmeyer of Broomfield, CO; Elaine (Jerry) Peterson of Burke, SD; Karen (Mark) Hurlburt of Yankton, SD; and Gary Kortmeyer of Burke, SD; 12 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great-grandchildren and two sisters: Inez Jones of Burke, SD and Doris (Lewis) Bailey of Tyndall, SD.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 11:00 AM at Clausen Funeral Home in Burke.  Burial will be in the Graceland Cemetery, Burke.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.