Lloyd A. Ernst
July 1, 1930 ~ September 18, 2022
Lloyd Alton Ernst, loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, died peacefully on September 18, 2022, surrounded by his family. Lloyd is survived by his daughters Charlene Acuna (Rick) and Krista Puri (Bobby); grandchildren, Rachel (Justin), Nathan (Marika), Rebecca, Sophia, and Evelyn; great-grandchildren, Jacob, Nicholas, Katelyn, Lenah, Jacquelyn, and Colin; brother-in-law, Delbert (Joyce) Gab; sisters-in-law Mary Gab and DarLou Ernst; and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Ardella, as well as his parents and brothers Morris, Wilmer, and LeRoy.
Lloyd was born to Rose and Emil Ernst on July 1, 1930, on the family farm just west of Roscoe, South Dakota. Lloyd graduated from Roscoe High School in 1948 and joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He served during the Korean War and was stationed in the U.S. and Japan. After his service, he utilized the GI Bill and earned a B.S. in Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1959 from South Dakota State University. On September 6, 1958, he married Ardella Gab. They had two daughters, Charlene and Krista.
Lloyd’s career moved the family to various places throughout the Dakotas, Wyoming, and ultimately to Northern Virginia. He was especially proud to oversee the construction of the Wheatland Power Plant in Wyoming. He retired from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in 1993 after 33 years of working with rural agricultural and electric cooperatives.
Lloyd enjoyed his retirement with Ardella, and they traveled extensively abroad and throughout the United States. During retirement, Lloyd became an active member of the Germans from Russia Heritage Society. He researched his family’s history which included their immigration to the United States to settle on a homestead farm in South Dakota. In 2000, he compiled his research into a book about the Ernst family. He was proud to preserve the Ernst family history and loved to share his knowledge and bring that history to life for future generations.
Lloyd cherished spending time with his family. He was devout to his Lutheran faith and remained active with the church. Even during the COVID-19 shutdowns, he figured out how to attend virtual streaming services.
Visitation is on Sunday, October 2, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Money & King Funeral Home, 171 Maple Ave West, Vienna, VA. The funeral service is on Tuesday, October 4, at 11:00 a.m. at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 2589 Chain Bridge Rd, Vienna, VA. The service will be streamed through the church's Facebook page for those unable to attend in person. Interment will follow at Stonewall Memorial Gardens, 12004 Lee Highway, Manassas, VA, with military funeral honors at 2:00 pm. Memorial donations may be to Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 2589 Chain Bridge Rd, Vienna, VA.
Lloyd was born to Rose and Emil Ernst on July 1, 1930, on the family farm just west of Roscoe, South Dakota. Lloyd graduated from Roscoe High School in 1948 and joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He served during the Korean War and was stationed in the U.S. and Japan. After his service, he utilized the GI Bill and earned a B.S. in Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1959 from South Dakota State University. On September 6, 1958, he married Ardella Gab. They had two daughters, Charlene and Krista.
Lloyd’s career moved the family to various places throughout the Dakotas, Wyoming, and ultimately to Northern Virginia. He was especially proud to oversee the construction of the Wheatland Power Plant in Wyoming. He retired from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in 1993 after 33 years of working with rural agricultural and electric cooperatives.
Lloyd enjoyed his retirement with Ardella, and they traveled extensively abroad and throughout the United States. During retirement, Lloyd became an active member of the Germans from Russia Heritage Society. He researched his family’s history which included their immigration to the United States to settle on a homestead farm in South Dakota. In 2000, he compiled his research into a book about the Ernst family. He was proud to preserve the Ernst family history and loved to share his knowledge and bring that history to life for future generations.
Lloyd cherished spending time with his family. He was devout to his Lutheran faith and remained active with the church. Even during the COVID-19 shutdowns, he figured out how to attend virtual streaming services.
Visitation is on Sunday, October 2, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Money & King Funeral Home, 171 Maple Ave West, Vienna, VA. The funeral service is on Tuesday, October 4, at 11:00 a.m. at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 2589 Chain Bridge Rd, Vienna, VA. The service will be streamed through the church's Facebook page for those unable to attend in person. Interment will follow at Stonewall Memorial Gardens, 12004 Lee Highway, Manassas, VA, with military funeral honors at 2:00 pm. Memorial donations may be to Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 2589 Chain Bridge Rd, Vienna, VA.
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We will always remember the good times we had together with Lloyd and Ardella. Besides Lloyd being a brother-in-law, he and Ardella were fun friends and kind and gracious people. Rest in peace. Del and Joyce
The Dash Poem by Linda Ellis
I read of a man who stood to speak
At a funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
From the beginning….to the end
He noted that first came the date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years
For that dash represents all the time
That they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
Know what that little line is worth
For it’s matters not, how much we own,
The cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash
So think about this long and hard,
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.
If we could slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel
And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering this special dash
Might only last a little while
So, when your eulogy is read
With your life’s actions to rehash….
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent Your dash?
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We will so miss Uncle Lloyd; his calls, visits, love and support; end of an era at the farm. Pictures are of him in his glory at our 2021 family reunion, excited to share homestead and family history with the younger generations. We celebrate the wonderful glory and reunion that Lloyd now enjoys! Caring thoughts and blessings to all his family in VA.
? Sandra Ernst
I am so thankful for Great Uncle Lloyd’s visits to South Dakota and his love for sharing family history and stories. He put together his book on our family’s history just as I was coming of age, and that book was so fascinating to me. It gave me names of my own family members that experienced times and events we were learning about in school! My cousin Stephen pointed out to me that while we were too young to remember our own Grandpa Morris well, Uncle Lloyd’s stories helped us know him too. I am so thankful for the many years and the impact Uncle Lloyd has had on my life and look forward to seeing him again in glory some day!