Obituary of Joyce Lorraine Ellingsen

Joyce Lorraine    (Eider) Ellingsen, 73, of Duluth, passed away on Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at St. Luke’s Hospital. She was born to Edwin and Mildred Eider on February 18, 1949 in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. She and her family moved to Duluth in 1951 and Joyce graduated from Denfeld High School in 1967. On August 20, 1977 she married Robert Ellingsen with whom she would have celebrated 45 years of marriage on Saturday, August 20, 2022.

After being a stay-at-home mother and providing daycare for other children, Joyce returned to the workforce. She spent many years working for the City of Duluth as an Information Technician before retiring in 2011.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents Edwin and Mildred Eider; brothers Gerald Eider and Dennis Eider.

She will be greatly missed by her husband Robert; son Derek (Amy) Ellingsen; daughters April Ellingsen (Jody Kujawa), and Tracey Ellingsen; sisters Elaine Eider, Merry (Ken) Rotier, Lisa (Tom) Morinville, and Laura Strumbell (Dwight); brother John Eider; and sister-in-law Kathy Eider; grandchildren Selah, Eleyah, and Gideon Ellingsen; many cousins; and many nieces, nephews, and great nieces and great nephews.

This year she experienced health challenges, worked hard at physical therapy and was proud of her progress. She is known for her great love, wonderful personality, and generosity. She loved sending out cards to friends and family for just about any occasion, and sometimes no occasion at all.

Joyce enjoyed crocheting afghans. She made countless afghans for new babies, wedding gifts, and many other special occasions. She was an avid passenger on any road trip whether across town or across the country. She is well known for her car naps, including on her honeymoon when she slept all the way from Rapid City, SD to Duluth.

She enjoyed spending time with family, especially game nights with her siblings and cousins, usually consisting of Skip-Bo, Aggravation or Yahtzee, which most times went to all hours of the night and sometimes sunrise the next morning.

She is widely known for her cooking and baking. The “Ellingsen Brownies” are famously sought after. Her potato salad is a favorite family staple with homemade dressing she taste-tested and adjusted accordingly. Every Thanksgiving she made many pies with made-from-scratch pie crust.

She maintained a personal record of family obituaries and death notices in her purse, and had impeccable organization with her volumes of photo albums.

She was a member of Duluth Gospel Tabernacle. She taught children’s classes and was a supporter of the youth group, hosting events and coordinating fundraising for missions trips. Her “Ellingsen Bus” trips (transporting a multitude of friends and relatives in the family vehicle) were often made more exciting with trips down the “curly-q way” and through “the alley.”

There will be a visitation on Sunday, August 14, 2022 from 3pm to 6pm at First Memorial Funeral Chapel, 4100 Grand Avenue, Duluth. Visitation will continue at Duluth Gospel Tabernacle 1515 West Superior Street on Monday, August 15, 2022 from 10am until the 11am funeral service. Luncheon will follow at the church, and interment will follow that at Oneota cemetery.