Ethelyn J. DeKnikker, age 92, of Volga, died Thursday, January 17, 2008, at Brookview Manor in Brookings. Funeral services will be 11:00 A.M. Monday, January 21, 2008, at First Lutheran Church in Volga, with interment in First Lutheran Cemetery. Visitations will be from 6-8 P.M. Sunday at Eidsness Funeral Chapel in Volga. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers that memorials be given to the Promise Fund at First Lutheran Church in Volga.

Ethelyn Josephine (Erickson) DeKnikker was born June 11, 1915, at Volga, South Dakota, to Andrew and Marthena Tena (Frandsen) Erickson. She graduated from Volga High School in 1932. She worked briefly as assistant bookkeeper at the Farmers Cooperative Creamery, then attended Nettleton Business College in Sioux Falls. On June 30, 1940, she married Henry H. Hank DeKnikker. He died September 6, 1998. Ethelyn worked at the Volga Tribune part of the time from 1938 until 1968. From 1969 until 1977 she was employed at South Dakota State University.

Ethelyn was a life-long member, and the oldest member, of First Lutheran Church in Volga and of the womens group since 1942. Her hobby was making quilts. She made at least one quilt for each family member. Her specialty was making quilts used for needy families at home and abroad, and also crib quilts. She made quilts for eight sets of twins, four pairs being for relatives and four pairs for friends. Many of the crib quilts she made were sent to babies at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. She constructed many quilt tops out of donated materials that were cut into blocks by the quilting ladies at First Lutheran Church.

Survivors include three daughters: Diane (Richard) Gunderson of St. Paul, Minnesota, Julie (Larry) Lustfield of Brookings, South Dakota, and Marta (Rodney) Neuman of Pierre, South Dakota; daughter-in-law, Mrs. Dennis (LaDean) DeKnikker, of Grand Forks, North Dakota; nine grandchildren: Teresa Santiago, Tina Kreis, Tammy Roers, Erik and Keith Gunderson, Mike Wakeman, Kristine Laubenthal, Sarah Snyder, and Chad Neuman; twelve great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; and her son, Dennis.