MITCHELL — Alfred Gene Ellingson , 88,  of Mitchell, formerly Forestburg, passed away on Saturday, June 10, 2017, at Avera Queen of Peace Hospital in Mitchell.
Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m., Saturday, June 17, at Forestburg Lutheran Church in Forestburg. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Will Funeral Chapel in Mitchell. Burial will be in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Artesian with military rites. 
Gene was born May 18, 1929, in Junius to Alfred and Foresta (Jopp) Ellingson. He graduated high school at Forestburg in 1947. He was united in marriage to Alyce Mae Oakley in 1949.
He served during the Korean War from 1954 to 1956. He farmed near Forestburg for over 30 years and worked for Magness Livestock. He served as president of Sanborn County Farmers Union, the Forestburg School Board, the Sanborn County Soil Conservation Board and the Sanborn Telephone Cooperative Board.
He is survived by his wife, Mae, children, Connie (Brian) Sumption of Williston, N.D., and Cary (Mary Jo) of Rapid City; six grandchildren; brothers, Wayne (Marie) of Federal Way, Wash.,  Arnold (Cheri) of Auburn, Wash.; sisters-in-law, Glenda Oakley of Huron, and MayLou Oakley of Miller; brother-in-law, Jim Winter of Custer; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Gloria; son, Jerry; sister, Ellen.
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