Kathryn "Karen" Ellis

Kathryn "Karen" Ellis ObituaryKaren Ellis of Watertown, SD passed away at the age of 89 on Wednesday, September 24, 2025 in Sioux Falls, SD.
Memorial services will be 11:00am, Tuesday, September 30, 2025 at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in Watertown.
Interment will be at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Watertown.
Honorary Urnbearers will be her many friends.
In Lieu of flowers, memorials will be given to the Wednesday night dance committee at the Watertown Senior Center.
Kathryn Karen McMacken, age 89, of Watertown, SD, passed away peacefully on September 24th, 2025. She was the third of five siblings, two older sisters and three younger brothers who were born to Norris and Kathryn K. (Waddel) McMacken. Karen was born July 28, 1936; and she, her sisters and two brothers lived in a sod house near Garden City until the family moved to a house in Bradley, SD at the stay of World War II. Life was difficult for families during the depression, which is noted with a studio photo of the family when Karen was only seven that obscured their feet because they only had overshoes to wear.
Karen was fourteen when her mother passed away. Her two older sisters had already left home for college or started their own families, so she because a part-time mother to her three brothers. Even as a parental figure she still was an instigator and participant in the boys' misadventures!
Karen went to college at Northern in Aberdeen to get her teaching certificate and taught in Martin for a couple of years. She married Bill "Dutch" Clark in 1956 and they had five beautiful children together, Cindy, Billy, Bobby, Brent, and Joel. They lived in a trailer house and moved around with the construction site Dutch worked for. Karen and her siblings have fond memories of living parked along the river in Ft. Pierre while Bill worked on the Oahe Dam Project. Despite the heat, humidity and bugs, they would go out for dinner and root beer floats after Bill would come home from work.
When their first, Cindy, was born Bill took a job at a truck stop in Winner and Karen went to work as a waitress. Later Bill took a job driving truck for a company in Big Stone and the family moved there. Dutch drove with Karen's brother for years making a weekly round trip hauling hogs from Fargo to Seattle and feeder steers back to Iowa.
In 1972 they moved to Watertown where Dutch and Karen owned and operated Conklin's One Stop. Bill passed away unexpectedly in 1983 and Karen sold the cafe several years later. She married Bob Ellis in 1987 and worked at Midcom until her retirement. Tragedy struck again when her daughter, Cindy, passed away from health complications and then Bob just a couple years later. When people would comment how strong she was she would say "I had to be, life goes on and there are people out there depending on me".
After retirement she volunteered in the kitchen at The Salvation Army until COVID. She fiercely loved her singling, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She supported her family no matter the endeavor. She was an advocate for Veterans, Women's and Children's Rights, and was active with the DAV Organization.
She loved to read and care for her many plants. She was an excellent cook, baker, and candy maker (her chicken noodle soup, homemade buns, caramel rolls, pumpkin pie, and peanut brittle are some of her specialties). She loved rummage sales and thrift stores, always finding treasures for her family. Dancing was her entertainment of choice, going to local dances, but she was especially fond of the Wednesday night dances at the Senior Center.
At her annual doctor's visit they would all commend what great health she was in for her age (a saying she hated) and she would tell them it'd because of all the dancing and they agreed. She loved dressing up for her dances and in her spare time she crafted beautiful light up holiday arrangements that she sold at craft stores.
Karen will be dearly missed by her family and friends. She was such a blessing in everyone's lives and will live forever in our hearts.
Grateful for having been in Karen's life are her children, Bill (LouAnn) Clark of Watertown, SD, Bob Clark of Sioux Falls, SD, Brent Clark of Castlewood, SD and Joel (Renae) Clark of Sioux Falls, SD; nine grandchildren, Katie (Casey) Hanson of Watertown, SD, Clint (Caitlin) Clark of Mackensie, TN, Krystle (Don) Manning of Sioux Falls, SD, Kelley (Nate) VanLaecken of Watertown, SD, Jacob Johnson of Milbank, SD, Dylan (Alicia) Clark of Castlewood, SD, Emily Clark of Yankton, SD, Rachael (Jon) Clark of Sioux Falls, SD and Matthew (Morgan) Clark of Sioux Falls, SD; 14 great-grandchildren, Gavyn, Kinley, Tori, Addy, Rhett, Maverick, Nora, Wren, Violet, Jamison, Wesley, Waylon, Colton and Amayah; one great great-grandchild, Tommy; and her brother Chuck (Peg) McMacken of Lakeville, MN.
Karen was preceded in death by her husbands, Bill Clark and Bob Ellis; her daughter, Cindy; her sisters, Jo and Jan; and brothers, Wes and Bill.
Karen Ellis of Watertown, SD passed away at the age of 89 on Wednesday, September 24, 2025 in Sioux Falls, SD.
Memorial services will be 11:00am, Tuesday, September 30, 2025 at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in Watertown.
Interment will be at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Watertown.
Honorary Urnbearers