Rita Joyce Ellsworth

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Rita J. Ellsworth, 92, of Miller, passed away Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at the Avera Hand County Memorial Hospital in Miller.

Celebration of Rita’s life will be 11:00 a.m., Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the First United Methodist Church, Miller, with Rev. Allison Galbreath officiating. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service. Burial will be at G.A.R. Cemetery, Miller, at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to the Miller Area Community Foundation, PO Box 295, Miller, SD 57362, or the First United Methodist Church, 610 E 4th Ave, Miller, SD 57362.

Rita Joyce Tagtow was born January 30, 1934, to George and Kathrine (Kropinske) Tagtow in Mitchell, SD. The baby of the family, she joined her sisters Lorraine and Phylis. Their mother passed away while Rita was a young girl, and her father wed Helen, and to that union Rita was blessed with a brother Roger and sister Sandy.

Rita loved to tell tales of growing up along the Missouri River and riding her father’s ferry. When she was school age, she lived with her sister Lorraine and husband Everett Ellerton in Highmore. She also told stories of living with her sister Phylis in Omaha during the summers and working at a diner.

In 1949, Rita met Aaron Ellsworth and they married on a snowy day in December of 1951. They were blessed with four children, Janice, Cheryl, Mike and Steve. They raised their family on the Ellsworth Ranch north of Ree Heights where they resided until retiring to Miller in 1998.

Besides the challenging job of raising a ranch family, Rita also worked as the elementary school secretary in Highmore. It was a job that she truly enjoyed. Although working alongside Aaron on the farm and raising her children was her greatest accomplishment.

Rita loved to rebate and was known to take the grandkids to the dump in search of labels needed to fill the requirements. Every grandchild had a plate, stuffed animal, T-shirt or other random treasure from this side hustle!

Rita was strong-willed, loving, kind and generous to a fault. She was known to call around town and thank people for the job they were doing. She was very grateful for the people that took care of the Miller community.

You never left Rita’s house without a kiss and a hug. She was a hugger!

Rita is survived by daughter, Janice (Doug) Purrington; sons, Mike (Susie) Ellsworth and Steve Ellsworth; son-in-law, Wayne Brock; grandchildren, Kara (Dan), Grady Heffner, Haley (Zachary) Johnson, Kristen (Ryan) Rittel, Kaitlyn (Clinton), Kenley, Carter, Khloe, and Colsen McKee, Reis (Mikayla), AJ, and Colby Rittel, Jonathan, Bailey (Nassim), Nichole, Amia, Raegan, Evelyn, and Maliyah Deuter, Sarah, Charlie and Adeline Theophilus, Lindsey (Alex) Bode, Tripp and Ellsworth Bahe, Jamie (Demarion), Miller and Louie Mapp, Kelly(Brandon), Cooper and Tessa Bushnell, Dani (Kyle), Hal, Olan and Benny Bertsch; sister, Sandy Smith; sister-in-law, Janice (Gene) Moncur, Barb (Gordon) Slunecka, and many nieces, nephews and special friends.

Rita is proceeded in death by her parents, husband, Aaron; daughter, Cheryl Brock; granddaughter, Kenzi Ellsworth; sisters, Phylis (Pete) Bell and Lorraine (Everett) Ellerton; brother, Roger Tagtow; and brother-in-law Jack Smith

Reck Funeral Home of Miller has been entrusted with Rita’s arrangements.