Elaine Titze

Dates

Obituary

Elaine Titze, 69, of Plankinton, SD, passed away Friday, January 10, 2025, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. Funeral services will be at 10:30 AM Monday, January 20, at Plankinton United Methodist Church. Visitation will be Sunday from 5-7:00 PM at the church with a 6:30 PM prayer service.

Elaine Sue Titze was born October 16th, 1955, on a beautiful Sunday morning to Sylvia (Vanden Hoek) and Winfred Nydam. She attended a one-room school for grades 1 and 2, then attended the Aurora Center school through 8th grade. She enjoyed high school in Stickney, running track and cheerleading, and graduated in 1973. She “Never wanted to go to school again!” but soon learned that teaching was rewarding. She attended Dakota State University, receiving a degree in Education and later completing her Master’s in Education.

In June of 1979, Elaine married Bob Titze. Together, they purchased a farm South of Plankinton and raised four children.

She taught at Aurora Center for one year and later taught in White Lake, Mount Vernon, and the Platte Colony before retiring in 2010. She continued substitute teaching well after retirement.

Elaine became active in the Plankinton Methodist Church when her kids were very young. She served on numerous church boards, groups, and committees. She used her faith and passion for teaching to teach/direct Sunday school and Bible school for many years. More recently, Elaine ran the puppet ministry program and looked forward to seeing her “puppet kids” each week.

Elaine enjoyed traveling and was always planning her next adventure. She loved spending time with her grandkids and was looking forward to sharing her love for travel with them. She was a master gardener (literally, she took the course) and spent countless hours in her garden growing flowers and vegetables as long as the weather allowed, then bringing as much indoors as she could come winter. In her remaining spare moments, she also enjoyed sewing, crafts, reading, and volunteering at Blessing’s Repeated.

Elaine is survived by her husband, Bob; sons, Nick Titze of Canton, SD and Donald (Whitney) Titze of Plankinton, SD; daughters, Emily (Greg) Moeller of White Lake, SD and Angela (Chris) Schaefer of Long Lake, MN; 12 grandchildren: Ruth, Morgan, and Walter Titze of Canton, Landon, Logan, and Liam Moeller of White Lake, Carter, Hunter, and Alexander Schaefer of Long Lake, MN, and Rylee, Wesley, and Evan Titze of Plankinton; brother, Ron Nydam of Stickney; and brothers-in-law/sisters-in-law: Lois Muilenburg, Judy Witherspoon, Donna Collom, Glen Titze, and Mike Merino.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Winfred and Sylvia, sister-in-law, Ardis Merino, and brother-in-law, John Muilenburg.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to the Plankinton United Methodist Church in memory of Elaine.

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