Obituary of Vernon G. Ellingson

ELLINGSON VERNON G Vernon G. “Oine” Ellingson, age 94, of Yankton, SD passed away Friday, February 05, 2016 at Avera McKennan Hospital, Sioux Falls, SD. Memorial services will be 11:00 AM, Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at the United Church of Christ (Congregational), Yankton, SD with the Rev. Molly Carlson officiating. United States flag presentation by U.S. Navy Funeral Honor Guard. Private family burial of his cremated remains will be in the Yankton Cemetery. Visitations will be 5 to 7 PM, Monday, February 8, 2016 at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Crematory, Yankton, SD and then one hour prior to the service at the church. On-line condolences may be sent at: www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com. Vernon Glenn “Oine” Ellingson was born on January 12, 1922 in Willmar, MN to Henry Ellingson and Vera (Lund) Ellingson Hogan. Vern’s father, Henry, passed when he was very young and his mother remarried a good Irishman, W.B. Hogan. Vern always liked to say he was born a Norwegian and raised by an Irishman. He was the second oldest of seven children. Vern attended school in Yankton and graduated from Yankton High School in 1940. After school, he worked at Montgomery Ward, went to Yankton College for two years, and started flying bi-planes. He enlisted in the Navy Air Corps on October 16, 1942. After the war ended, he also flew an F6F Hellcat and the F4U Corsair. Vern was an ensign, which is the equivalent of a second lieutenant in the Army, but he was promoted to lieutenant junior grade prior to discharge. He was discharged in 1945 and never flew again. He returned to Yankton and worked for First Dakota National Bank. Shortly after that, he worked for the Larson Brothers, where he learned the HVAC trade and then went into business for himself at Broadway Sheet Metal with Whitey Larson, and later on, his son Duke. Vern married Alice June Seeley on June 9, 1946 at the Methodist Church in Yankton, SD. To this union was born three children, William “Duke” (Peg) Ellingson, Sue (Ed) Buda, and Bob (Deb) Ellingson. Vern loved to golf, bowl, fly planes and spend time with his family. June and Oine were really in love, they were together for over 68 years and never left each other’s side. They enjoyed catching a good movie, socializing at the Elks club, going somewhere warm in the winter, playing golf and holding hands on their daily walks. Thankful for having shared his life are his sister, Jean (Paul) Agre, Minneapolis, MN; children William “Duke” (Peg) Ellingson, Yankton, SD, Sue (Ed) Buda, Crystal Lake, IL and Bob (Deb) Ellingson, Yankton, SD; his grandchildren Lindsey (Bill) Doctorman, Yankton, SD, Amanda “Mi-Mi” (Scott) Feyen, Naperville, IL, Jessica (Cem) Oztas, Overland Park, KS and Jaimie (Lars) Lawson, Skagway, AK; his great grandchildren Malcolm and Kurt Lawson, Allison and Alex Feyen and Paxton Oztas. He was preceded in death by his wife, June (Seeley) Ellingson, his grandson, Cody Ellingson, sisters, Joyce Lillig and Pat Lange, brothers, William Hogan, Dan Hogan and Jim Hogan, and parents, Vera and W.B. Hogan, and father, Henry Ellingson. Vern will be remembered for his kind, caring personality, and great sense of humor.