Nancy Granville Ellwein, 78, Mitchell died peacefully on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD. A funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, July 1, 2025 at 10:30 AM at Holy Family Catholic Church, Mitchell. The burial will follow at Graceland Cemetery, Mitchell. Visitation will be from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM on Monday, June 30, 2025 at the Will Funeral Chapel with a Scripture service at 6:30 PM followed by the Holy Rosary.

Nancy was born on October 21, 1945 at Mitchell, SD to Richard and Kathryn (Granville) Ellwein. She grew up in Mitchell and attended Whittier Elementary School, Mitchell Junior High School and Mitchell High School. She was baptized into the Christian faith at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Mitchell. Later, while attending college she converted into the Catholic faith under the guidance of Father James M. Doyle in Vermillion, SD.

While in Junior High and High School she was always on the Honor Roll. In high school Nancy was active in music and cheerleading. She was a delegate to South Dakota Girls State and inducted into the National Honor Society. Nancy was the 1963 MHS Homecoming Queen. She was also selected as the Daughters of the American Legion recipient and received the American Legion Citizenship Award. She was on the Student Council, the Crocus staff, Acapella Choir, All-State Chorus, Quill and Scroll Journalistic Honor Society and was the Jobs Daughters Honored Queen her senior year. She also worked tirelessly as editor of the school yearbook, The Warbler.

Following graduation, Nancy attended the University of South Dakota and graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority and honor societies Guidon and Motor Board. Her teaching career began in Madison, Wisconsin at East Junior High School. While in Wisconsin she became an avid Green Bay Packers fan, never losing hope even in the most painful of seasons.

She returned to Mitchell in 1969 and began teaching English at Mitchell High School. In 1973 she received her Master of Arts Degree in English at USD. She taught at MHS until her retirement after 34 years of teaching. Four times she was named MHS Teacher of the Year and twice competed for South Dakota Teacher of the Year. She was a member of MEA, SDEA and for nearly 50 years a member of Chapter BK, P.E.O. Following her retirement, Nancy was a dedicated community volunteer and received multiple honors for her service. She will always be remembered for her kind, thoughtful and generous spirit and her love for family.

She is survived by two sisters, Ruth Ann (Gary) Powers and Barbara (Donald) Young; nieces and nephews, Michael Powers, Sioux Falls, SD and Anne Powers, Sioux Falls, SD, Amy (Charles) Barr, Sioux Falls, SD, Jay (Kelly) Young, Arlington, VA and Father Andrew Young, Brandon, SD; six great nieces and nephews, Andrew, Kathryn, Zachary, and Sarah Barr and Cameron and Jana Young.

She was preceded in death by her parents; one sister, Mary Spencer, her husband, Joseph and their unborn child.