Sondra Sue Elliott, 83

Sondra Sue Elliott, age 83 of Fredericksburg, died Saturday, Aug. 17, 2024, at her home.

A private family service will take place.

Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory in Fredericksburg have been entrusted with Sondra’s arrangements.

Born on Oct. 28, 1940, in rural Gasconade County, Missouri, daughter of Benjamin C and Beatrice Jordan Schwinke, Sondra had an older brother (William) and a younger sister (Betty Bea). They lived on a farm and enjoyed picking peaches in the orchard.

She and her siblings attended Sunday school at the Fredericksburg Evangelical country church. In March 1947, the family moved to Iowa and farmed near Ionia.  They spent many weekends and holidays with the Deppe family.

In 1952, the family moved to a farm west of Fredericksburg.  Sondra would attend Fredericksburg High School where she met a very nice boy, named Bill Elliott.  She recalled going their first date to a movie in New Hampton.

Sondra graduated from Fredericksburg High School in 1958 and attended Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls, receiving a two-year teaching degree in 1960. She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the State College of Iowa, now the University of Northern Iowa, in 1963.

She and Bill later married on June 7, 1964, in Fredericksburg. To this union, two sons — Kip and Tod Elliott — were born.  They established their home in rural Fredericksburg.

Sondra was a dedicated elementary teacher for 31 years. She served as an elementary teacher in Denver, Sumner, and Fredericksburg and retired from teaching in 1998. After retirement she went on to serve as a member of the Fredericksburg Community School Board of Education for seven years.

She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren whether it was here in Iowa or in Wisconsin.

She always had chocolate chip cookies and peanut M&Ms for them whenever they would stop by.

She spent countless hours shuffling “the boys” to and from farm sites and folks at Mc Donald’s probably knew her by name.

Sondra is survived by her husband, Bill; two sons, Kip (Jodi) of Hudson, Wisconsin, and Tod (Tracy) of Sumner; five grandchildren, Cassie, Bryce, Carter, Maxwell, and Maree; brother, William Schwinke of Denver; and sister, Betty Bea (Edward) Louis of Faribault, Minnesota.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

In lieu of flowers please direct memorials to the family.