Ardyce Struck

Ardyce C. Struck, 93, New Effington, SD, passed away Sunday, July 4, 2021, at the Countryside Inn Assisted Living in Rosholt.

Funeral services will be Friday, July 9, at 10:30 a.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in New Effington with Vicar Karie Geyer officiating. Music will be provided by organist Deb Bredvik.  The funeral service will be livestreamed on the Eggers Funeral Home Facebook page.

Burial will be in the Garden of Rest Cemetery, New Effington. Pallbearers will be her grandchildren. Honorary pallbearers will be her caregivers and friends at Countryside Inn.

Visitation will be Thursday from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. followed by a prayer service at 6:30 p.m. at the Eggers Funeral Home in Rosholt. Visitation will continue Friday morning one hour prior to the service at the church.

Ardyce Corrinne was born August 20, 1927, to Alfred and Clara (Steen) Steen at home in Grant Township, Roberts County, SD. She was baptized and confirmed at Concordia Lutheran Church, rural Sisseton. She attended school in rural Sisseton and graduated from Sisseton High School in 1945. Ardyce then attended Northern State Teachers College to train as a teacher. After finishing school, she taught in K-8 one room schools in the Victor area for almost 15 years.

On December 3, 1955, Ardyce married Charles Struck at Concordia Lutheran Church and promptly got snowed in at her parent's house with her in-laws and various other relatives. It was an auspicious start to 65 years of marriage.

Charles and Ardyce lived on the farm south of Victor until 1996 when they moved into New Effington. They made their home at Countryside in Rosholt in 2018.

Ardyce was always a teacher at heart even after she stopped teaching school.  She loved to tell a story and usually managed to incorporate a lesson or two along with a laugh whenever possible.   She could be found in Sunday school classrooms at Brandvold and Faith Lutheran as well as participating in Bible studies and creating bulletin boards to decorate the hallways.  Her stint on the county library board gave her an excuse to visit the library on a regular basis.  She enjoyed writing poetry for any occasion and skits to present with her sister Helen.  They were often recognized as Hilda and Lena, the two old Norwegian ladies who taught lessons, gave reports or simply entertained a variety of audiences with their humorous dialogs.  After their move to town, the New Effington Museum, which was almost in her back yard, provided another outlet for her teaching ways.

Survivors include her husband, Charles Struck; two children, JoAnn (Mike) Butts of Watertown, SD, and Kara (David) Hansen of New Effington; grandchildren, Erika Hanson, Kellen Butts, Levi Butts, Katie (Landon) Braun, Bryan Hansen, and Kellie Hansen; and three great-grandchildren.

Ardyce was preceded in death by her parents; her infant sister, Clarice; her older sister, Helen; and her twin brother, Arlie.