Class of 1925 - Back, l-r: Ruth House, Joe Murray, Nina Rockafellow, Denzel Pease, Marie Donelan. Middle - Louis Cullen, Roy Fletcher, Perry Ferdig. Front - Gertrude Larsen, Frances Freeze. For larger view of photo, see Yearbooks.

Louis E. 'Louie' Cullen 1907-1970

Funeral services for Louis E Cullen, 63, were held Monday from St. Mary's Catholic Church in Reliance, with the Reverend Peter Kelly officiating.  Burial was in St. Mary's Cemetery.

Mr. Cullen died Friday evening as a result of a heart attack during the basketball game between Gann Valley and Reliance in the Chamberlain Armory-Auditorium.

Louis Cullen was born March 16, 1907, in Lyman County to William and Mary Cullen.  He attended Reliance grades and high school,  then graduated from the University of South Dakota in 1929.  He later received his Masters in education from USD.

Mr. Cullen taught at Hamill from 1938 to 1941 and at Waverly from 1941 to 1947.  He taught at Argonne from 1947 until going to Reliance in 1952.  He had lived in Reliance since that time, but had been Superintendent at Gann Valley more recently.

He married Ruth Prichard June 3, 1939, at Rapid City.

Surviving relatives include Mrs. Cullen, three daughters: Mrs. Robert (Myrna) Worth, Omaha, Nebraska; Mrs. David (Linda) Steckelberg, Sioux Falls; and Susan, student at Mt. Marty College, Yankton; two brothers, Francis of Kennebec and William of Chamberlain; one sister, Mrs. August (Margaret) Wermers, Polo, and two grandchildren.

Mc Colley Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.