E lsie Lenser, 99, of Winner, SD passed away on Wednesday, April 24th, 2019 at the Avera Rosebud Country Care Center in Gregory, SD.  Funeral service will be held on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 at 1:00PM at the Christ Lutheran Church in Winner.  Burial will follow in the Winner City Cemetery.  A visitation will be held on Monday, April 29, 2019 at the Christ Lutheran Church from 6-7PM with a prayer service beginning at 7PM.

Elsie was born August 8, 1919 at Carter, SD to Daniel and Magdelena (Brost) Bettcher.  She was baptized and confirmed in the Jerusalem Lutheran Church south of Carter, SD.  She and her twin Sisters were invited to sing on the Yankton radio station WNAX.  She attended grade school at the country school south of Carter where she graduated from 8th grade.  She then attended freshmen year of high school at Millboro High School, the next three years she stayed and worked for her board and room with her Aunt and Uncle at Menno, SD and graduated from Menno High School in 1940.  She won a metal in high school for shot put.

After graduation she was united in marriage to Rinehart Lenser on June 27, 1940 at Jerusalem Lutheran Church.  They later bought a farm in Todd county where they lived and farmed for many years.  She always raised a big garden which she enjoyed and did a lot of canning over the years.  She also liked raising chickens.  They had one son August that died at birth and one daughter Marie.

Elsie is survived by her daughter Marie (Tom) Grieves, her granddaughter Jo Lynn Grieves, great-granddaughter Madison Helfrich, many nieces, nephews and other relatives too numerous to mention.

Elsie was preceded in death by her husband Rinehart in 2011, parents, twin sisters Irene and Marie, brothers; Alfred, Albert, Helmund, Eugene, Rueben, Darrel and one infant brother who passed at childbirth, sisters-in-law Della, Joyce, Lillian, Peggy, and nephews Doug, LaVern, Danny and Jerry.