Ramona Rae Nelson

Ramona Rae Nelson, 95, of Faulkton, South Dakota, and formerly of Watertown and Revillo, passed away on March 6, 2026, at the Faulkton Senior Living Center surrounded by her family.

Born on August 2, 1930, in Watertown to William and Mabelle Ihrke, Ramona grew up on the family farm near Altamont. She attended the one-room Clover Hill School and was confirmed at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church in Watertown. After graduating with honors from Watertown High School in 1947, she worked at Hubbard Implement Company. In 1949 she met Milton Nelson at a dance at the Prairie Moon Ballroom, and they married on June 4, 1950, at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church. The couple lived briefly in Madison, Minnesota, before returning to Milton’s family farm near Revillo, where they raised their family.

Ramona worked for many years at the Revillo Branch Office of Dakota State Bank, advancing to manager in 1973 and serving until her retirement in 1987. She was an active member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Revillo, where she taught Sunday School and held leadership roles in the Ladies Aid. She also served as secretary-treasurer of the Revillo Cemetery Association and managed the Revillo Housing Development. After retiring to Watertown in 1990, she and Milton joined St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, where she remained involved in the Ladies Mission Group. Ramona found joy in gardening and raising flowers, traveling on bus tours with Milton across the Midwest, and faithfully keeping a journal for the last 45 years of her life so that family events would not be forgotten.

She cherished summers when her grandchildren came to stay, sharing outings to the park, zoo, swimming pool, Mellette House, and Lake Kampeska. Known for her exceptional cooking, she delighted in preparing meals for family and guests, and her homemade buns, chocolate cake, and caramel rolls remain treasured memories. In her later years at the Faulkton Senior Living Center, she deeply appreciated visits from her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Ramona is survived by her son Scott (Lavone) Nelson of Watertown and Le Mars, Iowa; daughters Beth Deiter of Faulkton and Monique (Bret) Reed of Elk Point; son-in-law Garret Fritzemeier of Sioux Falls; sisters-in-law Paula Ihrke and JoAnn Ihrke; nine grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Milton in 2009, daughter Sharee Fritzemeier in 2013, son-in-law Roger Deiter in 2023, her parents, three brothers, one sister, and several sisters-in-law.