Born December 22nd, 1927 at Clear Lake, South Dakota. Son of late George & Linda Ellis. Attended Clear Lake School District. Graduated in 1946 & attended summer school at Bernard Beadle Teachers College in Madison, SD. He then began his thirty-nine year teaching career at a rural one room school house. Fish Lake in Deual County under the direction of Maria Holen, the county superintendent. He then taught seven more years in a one room school in Deual County. During his last teaching position at John Gauger he received his greetings from the United States Armed Forces. Then from 1953 to 1955 his basic training was at Fort Warden, Washington. Overseas to Japan and Korea. While in Korea, his company ran a prisoner of war camp on the island of Geoje Island. After an honorable discharge he returned to Clear Lake, SD and had earned a two year teaching certificate and began teaching at the Brandt Public Schools. He received recognition of having a senior year book named in his honor. On May 27th, 1956 was united in marriage to Nadine Adele Gullickson; two daughters were born to this union: Natalie Lynn Loseke of Shawnee, KS (married to Brian Loseke) and Nicole Dawn Thomason of Omaha, NE (married to Jeremy Thomason). Both of us taught at the Brandt Public School in South Dakota and two years at Clear Lake School Systems also in South Dakota.
In 1960 both graduated from South Dakota State College with a four-year teaching diploma and moved to Omaha, NE and began teaching with the Omaha Public Schools (OPS) at Kellom and retired in 1991 from Ashland Park School. An alumnus of Dakota State College in Madison, SD. Don was active in the Masonic Lodge having joined Brookings Masonic Lodge in South Dakota receiving his fifty (50) year pin in 2009. He had a dual membership presently a member of Covert Lodge No. 11 in Omaha, NE. Tangier Shrine Hospital Float Unit serving as Secretary & Treasurer for over twenty-five (25) years. A member of the Order of the Eastern Start Trinity No. 299 served as Worthy Patron twice in 1991 and 1993. Joined in 1966 and in 2016 fifty year pin received. Member of Millard American Legion No. 0374 in Omaha, NE. Association of Retired School Personnel he served as the Membership Chair for Omaha chapter. VISITATION: Mon. 2/3/2020 from 5-7 PM with a MASONIC SERVICE 7pm by Covert Lodge #11 AF and AM all at the Westlawn-Hillcrest Funeral Home; FUNERAL SERVICE: Tues. 2/4/2020 11:00 AM at the Funeral Home; INTERMENT: Westlawn-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery, Omaha, NE
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18