ErmaLou Grothaus

Memorial services will be held April 2, 1:00 PM., for Mrs. ErmaLou Grothaus, 83, Waubay, at the Enemy Swim Cultural Center, Enemy Swim. Rev. Wilbert Robertson will officiate. Inurnment will be at a later date in the Mound Cemetery at Brooklyn Park, MN. ErmaLou passed away March 27, 2011, at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls. Fiksdal Funeral Service of Webster, SD is in charge of the arrangements. Honorary pallbearers will be all of her nephews. Music will be provided by Loris Welch and Matthew Bernard. ErmaLou Barse was born December 12, 1927, to Edith (Schmig) and Arthur Barse at the George Barse home in Waubay. She was baptized and confirmed into the Lutheran faith. She attended grade school and high school at Waubay. She was united in marriage to Vern Aldridge on September 1, 1945.When she was 22, she moved to Minneapolis, MN. She was united in marriage to Harold Grothaus on February 13, 1954. The couple made their home in Minneapolis and ErmaLou was a stay at home mom. They moved to Mille Lacs Lake, MN. in 1973, where she was employed at various places in the area. Mr. Grothaus passed away in 1973. In 1979, ErmaLou obtained her Nursing Degree from Lake Area Technical Institute at Watertown. In 1984 she received a degree in small business management. She worked many years at Fort Mille Lacs Village and for the Head Start Program in Mille Lacs. She was united in marriage to Ken Pederson in 1981. He passed away in 1998. She retired at the age of 73, due to poor health. She took advantage of her retirement to spend time with her large family in Minnesota and South Dakota. She moved back to Waubay in 2003 where she was active in the Enemy Swim District and the Enemy Swim Elderly Program. She attended the First Nation Baptist Church at Waubay and was a member of the Brady-Monson Post American Legion Auxiliary. She was a Gold Star Mother and an Enemy Swim Tribal Elder. Erma Lou enjoyed traveling, gardening, birthday dinners, crocheting, embroidering, camping, collecting various items and especially spending time with her loved ones. Her favorite holiday was Halloween and she loved to decorate and participate in the festivities of Halloween. Her favorite quote was, "A hundred years from now, you will never know the difference." Survivors include two daughters: Gwendolyn Collins of Burnsville, MN. and Kathryne (Scott) Heyer of Onamia, MN.; two sons: Robin (Lori) Grothaus of San TanValley, AZ. and Bruce (Julie) Grothaus of Summit; twenty-six grandchildren and many great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in by her parents, her husbands, two sons: Gale Alldridge and Dennis Alldridge; one daughter, Jackie Manthey; and eleven siblings.