Rev. Eugene Tjarks, 96, of Sioux Falls, passed peacefully into the arms of his Savior on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Services will be Monday, September 14, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Peace Lutheran Church, 5509 W. 41st Street in Sioux Falls. His family will be available for visitation before and after the service.
Gene lived a life of Christ-inspired service. He had a servant heart and a willingness to help anyone in need or in distress, be it family, friends, acquaintances or strangers. For an untold number of people he offered prayers, strong arms and strong back, the money in his pocket, and creative problem-solving with a hammer and saw. Yet, for all his gifts to others, he spent his last months and days giving thanks for his marriage, for the good life he and his family have enjoyed, and the many blessings the Lord and other people have shared with him.
Gene battled his way back from major health events, including three open heart surgeries and two strokes. His battle for life on this earth ended by his own decision to forego further medical procedures. He was ready to join God and his family in heaven. Much of his final week was spent in joyous remembrance of a life well-lived and confidence in the promise God has a room waiting for him.
Eugene Burton Tjarks was born October 18, 1929, to George and Dena Tjarks at the family’s farm home near Glenvil, Nebraska. He graduated from Glenvil High School. His grandmother decided Gene should be a pastor and she paid his tuition to attend Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, and then Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. He married Dolores Ellermeier on August 19, 1951, at Glenvil, Nebraska, a union that stood like granite for more than 72 years.
Gene’s first pastoral call was to Smithwick, S.D, a town near Hot Springs. In 1960, he accepted a call to Our Savior Lutheran Church in Twin Falls, Idaho, where he and Dolores raised their family of four children. In addition to ministering to his congregation, Gene was a founder of Luther Heights Bible Camp, located in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho.
A combination of genetics and Menieres Disease caused him to lose most of his hearing in the 1970s. He resigned his call, believing he could no longer adequately serve the congregation of Our Savior Lutheran Church. In 1977, he was called by Ephphatha Services in Sioux Falls as a minister for the deaf.
Gene was held in high esteem by the Sioux Falls deaf community. He and Dolores loved the opportunity to serve and worship with local adults and children who were deaf.
In 1994, Gene retired from his fulltime position at Heartland Ephphatha Services, but continued in a parttime and volunteer fashion for several years. At the time of his retirement, he and Dolores joined Peace Lutheran Church. Worshipping, learning and serving at Peace Lutheran provided great joy and lasting friendships. Gene served as a visitation pastor for a time, they were both active Bible study participants, and they took part in many service opportunities both at Peace Lutheran and in the greater community.
In 2000, Gene became the second person in the United States to have two cochlear implants surgically placed at the same time. He was a long-time participant in research at the University of Iowa where he spent long, exhausting days helping researchers prove that two cochlear implants provide superior access to sound than single cochlear implants.
Grateful for having shared his life are his children, Dr. Mary Tjarks, Iowa City, IA, Dr. Brian Tjarks and his wife, Susan, Mitchell, SD, and Kathy Fitch and her husband, Bob, Hawarden, IA; son-in-law, Dale Hammond, Kimberly, ID; seven grandchildren, David Hammond, Christine Hammond, Lori (Chris) Gillette, Erik (Ashley) Shewmaker, Katie (Brian) Hazen, Joel (Lindsay) Tjarks and Cole Fitch; eleven great-grandchildren, Elizabeth, Lilly, Liv, Lane, Madelyn, Zachary, Mitchell, Benjamin, Michael, Holly and Robert; two great-great granddaughters, Harley and Scarlett; his sisters, Frances Schliep, Hastings, NE, and Barbara Sadd, Lincoln, NE; sister-in-law, Carol Wimpy of Boerne, TX; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.
Eugene was preceded in death by his wife, Dolores Tjarks; daughter, Pamela Hammond; his parents, George and Dena (Kahman) Tjarks; and five siblings, Lorna Brown, Ilene Gerdes, Delores Merkel, Delmar Tjarks, and Myron Tjarks.
All obituary information has been taken from the funeral home, newspaper or other online resource.
Share