Ewald Ruben Ulmer

Ewald Ruben Ulmer, age 88, went to his heavenly home on April 15th, 2026, while resting at Sanford Centennial Cottage.

Visitation will be at 1:00 p.m., Monday, April 20,2026, at the George Boom Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory, with family present.  His Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 PM, Monday, April 20, 2026, at the George Boom Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory.  Interment will be in the Hills of Rest Cemetery, Sioux Falls.  

 Ewald was born to Ruben and Lydia (Wollman) Ulmer on September 21st, 1937 on the family farm just south of Menno, South Dakota. After attending a one room schoolhouse for his elementary years, he graduated Menno high school followed by a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering at SDSU in 1960. He married the love of his life, Joann Rasmussen, on June 18th, 1960. Following a Black Hills honeymoon, they moved to Hartford, Connecticut where he worked at Pratt & Whitney aircraft on the latest turbine fan military jet engines. Ewald attended night school at UConn to get his M.S. in mechanical engineering. After growing the family with Jeff and Janet, they traveled back to Sioux Falls in 1967 to raise family closer to home, later adding Karl and Jane.

Employed at Raven Industries, Ewald designed propane fuel burners for hot air balloons. Including balloons for fighter pilots' seats designed to automatically deploy after ejecting.

In 1972, the family settled in Canton, South Dakota where Ewald perfected concrete paving machine designs while working at Bid-Well for 33 years. He received four United States patents for his inventions still used today to pave bridges, airstrips, canals, and even underwater tunnels throughout the world. Ewald and Joann lived lives dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ and served full heartedly in Christian ministry in Sioux Falls area at the State penitentiary, local prayer centers, churches, and on overseas missions trips.

Ewald loved hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, and biking with the family. Yearly Black Hills family vacations were his favorite. Ewald cherished building memories with his grandchildren while attending the kid's concerts, basketball, soccer, cross country, gymnastics, etc events. 

We rejoice in knowing that Ewald is walking the streets of gold with his Lord Jesus and is reunited with our beloved mother. 2 Cor 5:1-10.

Surviving family includes Jeff (Jill) Ulmer, Janet (Brad) Golay, Karl (Gretchen) Ulmer, Jane (Joe) Flynn, 9 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren, with another expected in July.