Ila Corrine Zellmer (Johnson)

SIOUX CITY -- Ila Corrine (Johnson) Zellmer, 77, of Sioux City died Aug. 17, 2010, in Sioux City. Come help us celebrate her life.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at First Lutheran Church in Mitchell, S.D. Graveside services will be 2 p.m. Monday in Trinity Lutheran Cemetery, rural Letcher, S.D. Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Trinity Lutheran Church in Sioux City. Arrangements are under the direction of Morningside Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home. Condolences may be sent online to www.christysmith.com .

She was born on July 18, 1933, in Radcliffe, Iowa, to Levi and Marie (Johnson) Johnson. The family moved to South Dakota when she was in the first grade. She graduated from Mitchell High School in 1951 and then went on to Augustana College to get her two-year teaching degree.

Ila married Bruce Zellmer on Dec. 21, 1952. They were blessed with four children, David, Daniel, Timothy and Cynthia.

Ila was a homemaker and an outstanding volunteer. She gave shampoos and fixed the hair of patients in the hospital in Minot, N.D. She was president of the Newcomers Club in Ponca City, Okla., and following that, she worked as one of the coordinators of the Meals on Wheels program. For many years she volunteered at St. Luke's Hospital in the Intensive Care waiting area, making coffee and serving cookies.

In 1978, she and her husband, Bruce, went on a Lutheran Marriage Encounter weekend, which changed their lives in many ways. They started presenting on weekends in 1980. They also served as North American Region clergy couple, they presented on Deeper Weekends and Discovery Weekends and for a few years they served as supply couple for the North American Region. Through their work with Marriage Encounter, they traveled to Brazil, Finland and other Scandinavian countries. Ila and her husband, Bruce, traveled to the Holy Land on two different occasions to visit the places where Jesus lived and worked.

Together with her husband, Bruce, they founded Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Ponca City, Okla., in 1975. In addition, Ila and Bruce founded the hospice program in Ponca City, only the second such service in the state.

Ila was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Her love extended far beyond our immediate family. She included friends and family from far and wide in our circle of love.

Survivors include her husband, the Rev. Bruce Zellmer of Sioux City; sons, Bishop David B. and LaDonna Zellmer of Sioux Falls, S.D. and their family, Christina and Jon Nath of Mitchell, S.D., Joshua Zellmer of Rapid City, S.D., Sarah and Marcos Aguilar of Pierre, S.D. and Michael Zellmer of Vermillion, S.D., and four great-grandchildren, Cella and Parker Nath, Damon and Cooper Aguilar; a son, the Rev. Daniel and Debbie Zellmer of Port Lavaca, Texas, and their family, Brenda and Russell Svetlik of Victoria, Texas, Beth and Jeff Svetlik of Victoria, Texas, and Machaela Zellmer of Goliad, Texas, and one great-grandson, Ryan Svetlik; a son, Dr. Timothy and Marcella Zellmer of Great Falls, Mont., and their son, Leland Zellmer of Great Falls; a daughter, Cynthia and William Weber of Sioux City, and their family, Serena, Levi and Caleb of Sioux City; her brother, Norris and Betty Johnson; two brothers-in-law, Ernest and Gladys Zellmer and Wayne and Ingrid Zellmer; and many other Johnson-Zellmer family members.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Levi and Marie (Johnson) Johnson; and a sister, Melva and Jim McNeary.

Memorials may be directed to the South Dakota ELCA Synod Transportation Fund or Hospice of Siouxland.

Ila touched the lives of countless people around the world. She will be deeply missed.