Ellen Marie Opitz

ROSLYN: Ellen “El‘Marie” Marie Opitz 92, of Roslyn, died on Saturday, July 25, 2009 at a Roslyn nursing home. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 A.M. Thursday, July 30, 2009 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Eden. Burial will be at St. Michael’s Cemetery, Eden. Visitation will be at Fiksdal Funeral Service (fiksdalfuneral.com) in Webster on Wednesday 2-4 P.M. then continuing at the church until 8 P.M. with a 7 P.M. Rosary. Ellen Marie “El’Marie” Gunderson was born on Wednesday, May 30, 1917 to Gustav and Bellevera (Hanse) Gunderson on the family farm in Raritan Township, Day County, South Dakota south of Roslyn. She was baptized in the Roslyn Lutheran Church and later confirmed at Buffalo Lake Lutheran Church. She attended country school near her home and attended Sisseton High School. After briefly living and working in Minneapolis she returned to Sisseton. On November 27, 1937 she was united in marriage to Edward Opitz at Britton, South Dakota. After their marriage the couple made there home in various places before settling on the Opitz family farm in Marshall County near Eden. In 1958 they moved to Roslyn and purchased the Roslyn Café and operated it for 18 years. In 1977 they sold the café and she worked for Dakotah, Inc. in Eden until retirement in 1987. Mr. Opitz passed away in January 1988. She entered Strand-Kjorsvig Community Rest Home in Roslyn in January 2007. She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Eden where she was active in Altar Society. She belonged to the Friendship Club, Roslyn Senior Citizens and R.S.V.P. She taught her children the value of hard work, honesty and family above all. She loved and was a gracious care giver to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She took pleasure in the many places she visited after her husband passed away. At a time when women were still primarily homemakers, El’Marie owned and managed a successful restaurant through hard work and her gracious hospitality. El’Marie passed away on Saturday, July 25, 2009 at Roslyn, South Dakota at the age of 92 years, 1 month and 25 days. She will be gravely missed by her family and friends. Her warmth and generosity will never be forgotten. Survivors include one son, Edward (Linda) Opitz of Waldport, OR; three daughters, Judy (Don) Becht of Watertown, SD, Bonnie (Gary) Strand of Roslyn, SD and Kaylee (John) Herried of Wallingford, PA; ten grandchildren and sixteen great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, a granddaughter, Melanie Heintz, four brothers and five sisters.