Inge M. Erdmann
Inge M. Erdmann, age 94 of Sioux Falls, SD passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Her Funeral Service will be at 1:00 PM Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at Grace Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls. Visitation will be from 4:00-6:00 PM on Monday, March 10, 2025, at George Boom Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory, Sioux Falls. In lieu of flowers, consider memorials to Grace Lutheran Church.
Inge M. Erdmann was born in Sage, Germany on March 26, 1930, to Ernst and Caroline Huntke. Inge was the youngest of 6 children. She often spoke of her beautiful childhood in northern Germany, biking, exploring the forests and picking berries. As a young woman, she was educated on all aspects of home economics which became her specialized area of study and work.
With the onset of WWII, Inge and her family endured many hardships. However, they always displayed a generous and positive spirit and offered aid to those in need.
After WWII, when Inge was 25, what she called her “wanderlust”, or love of travel and exploration, brought her to the United States. She was given the opportunity to stay with her aunt and uncle on their farm in Pipestone, Minnesota. During her stay in Pipestone, she met the Jorgensen family and was hired to help care for their home and several children. This evolved into a deep friendship with Helen Jorgensen who remained her lifelong best friend. Inge learned to speak English by reading books and with the help of the Jorgensen children.
Inge met her future husband, William Erdmann, in Pipestone. They married on November 11, 1956, in Trosky, Minnesota. They adored each other and remained happily married for 52 years until the death of William in 2008.
The couple lived on the family farm before moving to Canton, SD. There they had their first two daughters, Dianne and Carolyn. The family moved to Sioux Falls, SD in 1963. In 1966, their daughter, Robin, was born.
Inge was an amazing homemaker and was a stay-at-home mom while her husband advanced through the Sioux Falls Post Office, most notably as Postmaster in Brookings, SD. Inge’s daughters were so grateful for the warm, inviting, secure home their mom created. She was a wonderful cook and seamstress and was known for her kindness and generous spirit. Among other things, Inge enjoyed gardening, baking, reading, and sewing. Her daughters remembered fondly those times she spent visiting with neighborhood friends, especially Mary, Minnie, and Ramona. The Erdmann yard was always full of laughter from her children and the neighborhood kids playing. Inge was a wonderful role model to children, and she demonstrated the importance of being loving and respectful of one another and animals. Inge was very fond of animals, especially her pussycats. Her cats Saffy and Bella were often found on her lap.
Most people will remember Inge as a humble, caring person always available to help anyone in need. Her generous and compassionate spirit touched the lives of many. She was practical and strong and often said, “You can do anything if you put your mind to it.” She reminded her daughters to take life one day at a time and stay positive. Inge was an active member of Women of Grace at Grace Lutheran Church beginning in 1966. Inge participated in many service-based and charitable events, always willing to lend a hand wherever needed. Inge was also a member of TOPS where she met many of her closest friends. Above all, Inge cherished her husband and daughters and loved spending time with them. Her favorite times were yearly family vacations in Northern Minnesota. She loved the call of the loons. The forests reminded her of Germany.
Grateful for having shared her life are her daughters Dianne, Carolyn and Robin Erdmann. She was preceded in death by her husband, William; daughter, Barbara; her parents; her sisters Anne and Luisa; and her brothers Wilhelm, Johann, and Carl Heinz.