Obituary of Ella Viola Fuks

Ella Viola Fuks, age 92, of Yankton passed away on Tuesday, November 19, 2013 at the Avera Yankton Care Center, Yankton, SD. Funeral services will be 11:00 AM, Saturday, November 23, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Yankton with Rev. Dave Lund officiating. Burial will be in the Garden of Memories. Visitations will begin at 5 PM, Friday, November 22, 2013 at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home and Crematory, Yankton with a 7 PM Prayer service. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. Pallbearers are: Jim Stark, Jason Stark, John Hauck, Jerry Kloucek, Loy Gravholt, Dustin Koletzky, and Lance Helmick. Honorary pallbearers will be her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Ella Viola Stark was born on January 3, 1921 near Utica, SD to Peter and Petra (Knudsen) Stark. She was baptized on September 19 1921 by Rev. Ole M. Odland of Yankton, SD. She went to grade school in Utica and high school in Yankton and graduating in 1938. Ella then began to work at the DeJong Store and post office in Utica. She married Dorance Fuks on February 10, 1942 at Martinus Lutheran Church in rural Utica and then moved to a farm west of Utica and farmed there until retiring in 1982. They both continued to work at the store in Utica every Tuesday and Friday night. After her two sons, Robert and Thomas, were born, she gave up the job in Utica and continued farming. After a few years, Dorance and Ella started a band, "The Czechers", playing for dances nearby every Saturday and Sunday, which was a big part of their married life for many years. After Dorance passed away May 30, 1996, Ella stayed on the farm for three years and then moved to Yankton where she did a lot of volunteer work. She was a great fan of the Minnesota Twins and went to watch them in Minnesota twice and never missed a game on TV. She was a member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary, member of the Women of the Moose, and a lifetime member of the Czech Heritage Club in Tabor. Ella is survived by sons, Robert Fuks of Lesterville, SD, and Thomas (Diane) Fuks of Yankton, SD; grandchildren: Lee Aaron Fuks, Amy (Monte) Wilson and their children, Michael and Myles, Amber (Kevin) Moe and their children, Landon and Brody, Robbie Wagner, Barbara Fuks (Fiancee, Lance Helmick) and her son, Chase, Sherri (Dustin) Koletzky and their children: Caid, Kobe, Kalli, Kinsley and Kami, and Audrey Fuks; nieces and nephews: John (Joyce) Hauck of Tabor, SD, Lois Bauer of Sioux Falls, SD, Elaine Hauck of Las Vegas, NV, Jim (Janet) Stark of Utica, SD, Janene Andrews of Rapid City, SD. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dorance Fuks, brother, Homer (Annetta) Stark, sisters: Hazel (Alfred) Hauck, Florence (Edward) Walloch, Evelyn and Viola Stark, and brother-in-law, Alvin (Rose) Fuks.