Deanna Jo Nissen

Deanna Jo Nissen, 66 of Parade, South Dakota, suddenly passed away Friday, June 16, 2023, while bravely battling cancer.

Deanna was born on April 29, 1957, in Britton, South Dakota to Robert and Deloris Bruns. She graduated High school from Langford, South Dakota, and then moved on to college at Northern State University in Aberdeen South Dakota, where she obtained her Master’s in Education. Deanna selflessly taught over one thousand elementary students for 35 years before she recently retired from Eagle Butte Upper Elementary School in May 2023. Deanna was known in her classroom to be a tough but kind teacher.  Her smile and laughter would light up any room!

Over the years, Deanna enjoyed traveling all across the country to visit her family, one daughter is retired from the US Navy and one is still serving in the US Air Force. Her favorite places included any and every place where she could put her toes in the sand and her feet in the ocean.  Deanna also had a deep love for her cats and dearly loved her six grandchildren and being their “Grammy”.

Deanna will be desperately missed by all those that she’s left behind. Our hearts are so broken by this unexpected loss. She was one of a kind and to be loved by her was to be truly blessed.

Deanna was preceded in death by her father, Robert Burns.

She is survived by her daughters, Ashley (Chad) Singletary and Christina (Kevin) Dixon; mother, Deloris Bruns; four sisters, Marcia Reints, Shelia Carlson, Coleen Mertz, and Wende Holzkamm; and six grandchildren: Kailah (19), Victoria (6), Cheyenne (3), Kade (14), Olivia (9), and KJ (7).

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