Lorraine C. Rittmann

Lorraine C. Rittmann, 89, of Watertown, SD passed away peacefully on March 15, 2025 at Jenkins Living Center. She was born February 2, 1936 in Madison, SD to Andrew Martinus and Muriel Dee (Iddings) Helgaas. She attended high school at Augustana Academy in Canton, SD and then earned her nursing degree from Augustana College. Following that, she studied at the St. Louis Barnes Hospital to become a nurse anesthetist. She met her future husband John Rittmann at a missionary meeting in St. Louis. They married April 16, 1960, and David was born a year and a half year later. Lorraine supported the family through medical school, and then they lived and worked in Cleveland, OH, Pine Ridge, SD and finally for five years in India while John was a medical missionary. Upon return to the United States, they completed further medical training in Bloomington, MN. In 1973 they made their home near family in Watertown where their daughter Renee was born. Even though Lorraine retired from nursing when Renee was young, she continued to focus on the needs of others. She devoted herself to family, church, friends, and volunteer work. She was an active member of Mt. Olive Lutheran Church through LWML and the quilters. A winner of the Celebrate! Award, she volunteered with the Watertown Historical Society, Friends of the Library, and Bramble Park Zoo, keeping her zoo membership available for visits with her grandchildren. She greatly loved baking cookies and making caramel corn and peanut brittle for her family and sending her grandchildren off with bags of treats.

Lorraine is survived by son David (Suzanne) Mills-Rittmann of Burnsville, MN and daughter Renee (Eric) Merten of Ellensburg, WA; and six grandchildren Megan (Zach), Eric, Michael, Emma, Kathryn and Sarah.

Preceding Lorraine in death are: her parents; husband John; sister Margaret and her husband Jon; and brother Steffen and his wife Janet.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorials in Lorraine’s memory may be directed to Bramble Park Zoo.

Arrangements by Crawford-Osthus Funeral Chapel www.crawfordosthus.com Watertown and Hayti

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