Marlys Stensaas

Marlys Elaine Stensaas, 84, of Vermillion, South Dakota passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 2, 2023, at Good Samaritan, Sioux Falls Village in Sioux Falls, SD.
Visitation and Prayer Service will be held on Monday, November 6th, 2023 from 5:00 to 7:00pm at Kober Funeral Home in Vermillion, SD. Celebration of life will be held on Tuesday, November 7th, 2023 at 10:30am at Roseni Lutheran Church in Rural Beresford, SD. Burial will take place immediately following the service in the Roseni cemetery. Memorials may be directed to Roseni Lutheran Church. Visit https://www.facebook.com/roseni.lutheran.church to view the live-streamed service.
Marlys was born on June 6, 1939, on the family farm in Union County, South Dakota to Edgar and Mabel (Isakson) Ronning. Marlys was the younger sister to Harold and older sister to Melvin, Marlene and Mary Jo. Marlys spent her grade school years at the Nora Country School in Nora, SD and then attended Alcester High School.
After graduating in 1957, Marlys and a high school friend went to Minneapolis and worked for Northwest Airlines for the summer. Marlys returned to Sioux Falls and attended Augustana College and graduated in 1959 with a two-year degree in Elementary Education. While teaching at Horace Mann Elementary in Sioux Falls, Marlys continued her studies at Augustana and received her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education in 1963.
Marlys was united in marriage to Richard Stensaas on July 18, 1964, at Roseni Lutheran Church in rural Beresford, SD. Together they had three children, Christopher, Charles, and Charlotte. Marlys taught at Dalesburg Rural School for three years and then at Fairview School, a two-room school outside of Vermillion, for another three years. Marlys taught at Austin Elementary in Vermillion until retirement in 2002 after 33 years of service.
Marlys was a member of the American Legion Women's Auxilliary and was a secretary for the organization for several years. Marlys was a Sunday School teacher, served as president of WELCA, and also supervised the church library for many years. Marlys was a member of the South Dakota Retired Teachers, served on the Civic Council Board of Directors, delivered meals for Meals on Wheels, and helped pack backpacks for Feeding Vermillion.
Marlys was known for her exceptional cooking and baking talent. You would never walk away from her table hungry! She had a love for reading and crossword puzzles and her sense of humor and quick wit endeared her to many. But more than anything, she most loved attending all of her grandchildren's activities whether it was soccer, basketball, softball, dance, choir and band performances, cross country, track, and swim meets. We often told them they should have an apartment in Sioux Falls to help save on gas!
A very special thank you goes to the staff at Good Samaritan Sioux Falls Village and AseraCare Hospice. In Marlys' last months, weeks, and days, the family rests assured that she was very well taken care of.
Grateful for having shared her life are her husband Richard, Sioux Falls; her children, Christopher (Sara) Stensaas, Minneapolis, MN, Charles (Jennifer) Stensaas, Sioux Falls, SD, and Charlotte (Allen) Gjoraas, Sioux Falls, SD. Her grandchildren, Julia & Nathan Stensaas, Minneapolis, MN, Mykenzie Mohror, Sophia, Paige, and Lydia Stensaas and Mckenzie and Mason Gjoraas, and one great-grandchild, Julian Muser, all of Sioux Falls, SD. Marlys is also survived by her siblings Melvin (Doreen) Ronning, Alcester, SD, Marlene (Mike) Bryar, Atlanta, GA, and Mary Jo (Brad) Kruse, Manson, IA; siblings-in-law Marydell Ronning, Alcester, SD, Don (Francis Jo) Stensaas, Boise, ID and Joanne Stensaas and Lou Koehn, Sunnyvale, CA; many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
Marlys was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Harold, a brother-in-law Stan and wife Connie Stensaas, and her very special great-nephew Nolan Ramthun