12/22/27 - 1/30/2020

Ellis, Donald Floyd was born on December 22, 1927 at Clear Lake, SD; son of the late George and Linda Ellis.

Attended Clear Lake School District, and graduated in 1946 and attended summer school at Bernard Beadle Teachers College in Madison, SD. He then began his 39 year teaching career at a rural one room school house, Fish Lake in Deual County under the direction of Maria Holen, the county superintendent. He then taught seven more years in a one room school in Deual County.

During his last teaching position at John Gauger, he received his greetings from the United States Armed Forces. Then from 1953 to 1955 his basic training was at Fort Warden, WA, and then he went overseas to Japan and Korea. While in Korea, his company ran a prisoner of war camp on the island of Geoje Island.

After an honorable discharge he returned to Clear Lake and earned a two year teaching certificate and began teaching at the Brandt Public Schools. He received the recognition of having a senior year book named in his honor.

On May 27th, 1956, he was united in marriage to Nadine Adele Gullickson and two daughters were born to this union: Natalie Lynn Loseke of Shawnee, KS (married to Brian Loseke) and Nicole Dawn Thomason of Omaha (married to Jeremy Thomason).

Both of them taught at the Brandt Public School in South Dakota, and two years at Clear Lake School Systems also in South Dakota. In 1960, both graduated from South Dakota State College with a four-year teaching diploma and they moved to Omaha and began teaching with the Omaha Public Schools (OPS) at Kellom and retired in 1991 from Ashland Park School.

An alumnus of Dakota State College in Madison SD, Don was active in the Masonic Lodge having joined Brookings Masonic Lodge in South Dakota, receiving his fifty (50) year pin in 2009. He had a dual membership as a member of Covert Lodge No. 11 in Omaha, and the Tangier Shrine Hospital Float Unit serving as Secretary and Treasurer for over twenty-five (25) years. A member of the Order of the Eastern Star Trinity No. 299 and served as Worthy Patron twice in 1991 and 1993. He joined in 1966 and in 2016, a fifty year pin was received. Member of Millard American Legion #0374 in Omaha. Association of Retired School Personnel, he served as the Membership Chair for Omaha chapter.

VISITATION: Monday, February 3, from 5-7 pm at the Westlawn-Hillcrest Funeral Home.

FUNERAL SERVICE: Tuesday, February 4, 11am at the Funeral Home.

INTERMENT: Westlawn-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery, Omaha. Westlawn-Hillcrest Funeral Home 5701 Center Street, Omaha, NE 68106, 402-556-2500 www.westlawnhillcrest.com