Obituary of Mary Ellen Poznicek

Mary Ellen Poznicek, 85, of Yankton, passed away Wednesday November 29, 2023, at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, with our Lord beside her, along with her son Steve and daughter Donna. There will be a prayer service at 7:00 pm Monday, December 4^th at Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home in Yankton. Funeral services will be 2:00 pm, Tuesday, December 5 at Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home in Yankton with Rev. Dean Schroeder officiating. Burial will follow at the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Yankton. Online condolences may be sent at www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com. Livestreaming of Mary Ellen’s services can be found at https://my.gather.app/remember/mary-ellen-poznicek.

Mary Ellen was born April 8, 1938, to Matt and Myrtle (Beck) Jensen in Deadwood, SD. At the age of 8 her family moved to rural Utica.

Mary Ellen met her husband, Rudy in Lesterville, SD in 1951. They knew immediately they were to be lifetime partners. They were united in marriage on November 7, 1954.

She worked at Kelly’s Cove, Montgomery Wards and Gurneys and on the family farm for 50 years. Mary Ellen and Rudy were partners in farming of all aspects – crops, livestock, chickens and more. They also were always willing to lend a helping hand to neighboring farmers.

There were many memories made on the farm that the children cherish to this day. They sold the farm in 2008 and built a new home near Yankton in 1992, in which Mary still resided.

Mary Ellen was talented in every way. She could draw, sew anything up to and including truck tarps, baptismal attire for her great grandchildren, baby blankets, quilts, and embroidered dish towels. She could mend and patch anything asked, including your heart – just ask and it was done, that was her talent blessed from God. She was an amazing, kind and caring person, putting everyone first before her and expecting nothing in return.

The most memorable to us is the love and caring for her family beyond measure-her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren who were above and beyond anything to her. She was a devoted person to all, honest and true.

She is survived by her son Steve, of Burbank, SD; daughters Julie (Richie) Fischer and Donna (Paul) Mutschelknaus of Lesterville, SD; grandchildren Shanda Mutschelknaus of Gilbert, AZ, Emily (Matt) Stern of Freeman, SD, and Jenny (Lee) Grate of Yankton, SD; great grandchildren Willow, Asher and Myla Stern of Freeman, SD, Colter Grate of Yankton, SD; and sister Marna of Norwalk, OH.

Mary Ellen was preceded in death by her husband, Rudy on December 31, 2013; parents; brother Merle Jensen; and an infant child.

In lieu of flowers family requests that memorials be directed to the St. Jude Children’s Hospital or Veterans of Foreign Wars.