Erwin Eisner was born to Olga and August Eisner in Aleksandrovka by Zhytomir in the Ukraine on August 21, 1935. The village was primarily made up of German immigrants who survived the Great Famine of 1933.
After the Battle of Stalingrad in August 1942, the bloodiest battle in history, the Eisners were forced to flee from Russian soldiers. Along with thousands of refugees they made their way to Poland and into Germany, where they lived near Wolfsburg.
After the war, August was offered the opportunity to take the family to America to work on a farm in South Dakota. After a sea voyage through Cuba and New Orleans in 1952, the family, consisting of mother, father, daughters Maria and Olga, and sons Erwin and Helmut, traveled by train to Sioux Falls.
In 1963 Erwin met Annemarie Ermler. They married in 1964 and Erwin adopted Annemarie's son Walter after building a home in Brandon. Two brothers, Tom and Eric, followed in 1964 and 1968.
The family moved to Luverne in 1968 where Erwin worked at the local power plant and Annemarie worked at the local library until 1997.
The family grew. In 1990 Walter married Jan, and in 1993 Tom gave them their first grandson, Christopher. Eric moved to the Black Hills where he met Urszula. They were married in Urszula's native Poland on New Year's Eve 2005. Two sons, Alex and Ean, followed in 2008 and 2011.
After 17 years of joyful retirement, Annemarie passed away in 2014.
Erwin is survived by his sons Walter, Thomas and Eric; daughters-in-law Jan and Urszula; grandsons Christopher, Alex and Ean; sister Maria Heinze (Jim); brother Helmut (Sharon); and niece Lisa Heinze.
Celebration of life service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Thursday, May 13, 2021, at Heritage Funeral Home, 4800 S. Minnesota Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD 57108. Visitation with family present will be from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. prior to the service.
Arrangements are with Heritage Funeral Home at www.heritagesfsd.com.
(0513 V)