Joann “Jody” Ketel, 89, of Rapid City, South Dakota, went home to be with the Lord on August 25, 2026, while in hospice care. Jody was born on August 10, 1937, in Murdo, SD, to Peter Barney Erickson and Neva Birdetta (Fletcher) Erickson. Pete moved the family to Bellevue, Neb., in 1942 during World War II so he could help the war effort by working at the nearby Glenn L. Martin Bomber Plant. After the war, the family returned to South Dakota, settling on a farm near Reliance.

Music was a significant part of the Erickson children’s upbringing. Together with her younger sisters Betty and Karen, Jody sang with the Erickson Sisters vocal trio from the time they were young. All three possessed perfect pitch. They performed in matching dresses sewn by their mother, and their favorite songs included “Tennessee Waltz,” “Sincerely,” “May You Always,” and “We Have These Moments Today.” Music remained central to her life. All three sisters eventually taught piano lessons.

Jody graduated from Reliance High School in 1955 and attended Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell for three years, earning her 2-year Teaching Certificate. While serving in a DWU outreach choir in outlying churches, she met Leroy “Roy” Ketel in Stickney. They were married on Aug. 16, 1958, in Chamberlain, SD, and she taught at a country school near Mitchell while Roy finished his accounting degree at Dakota Wesleyan.

Jody and Roy moved to Rapid City in 1959, as Roy accepted an accounting position with Schouweiler, Sayler & Thorstenson, a local CPA firm. (This firm would grow to become Ketel Thorstenson, LLLP.) They welcomed their first child in December 1959, with a second born a year and 3 days later. She continued teaching piano from her home on Cameron Drive. Their third child was born in 1966.

In May 1969, the family moved to a house that Jody designed. This home on Morningview Drive is where they lived for 17 years while they finished raising their children. Jody would design her next two houses, including her dream house in Carriage Hills where she spent the final 27 years of her life.

Faith was very important to Jody, and she and Roy joined First Methodist Church in Rapid City when the current building was still under construction, having been completed in 1959. They’ve been members there ever since. Jody sang in the choir for decades, and she also directed the church’s children’s music for many years as well. She and Roy also served as the directors of the church’s Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF). The church also provided a social outlet, as they joined a bridge club with other members of their church, building life-long friendships with a number of these couples. Bridge would be central to Jody and Roy’s social life.

In 1979, Jody made her first trip to Europe with the Rapid City Stevens High School band, as her older son played trumpet in the band. This trip began Jody’s love of travel, especially European travel. She would make over 20 trips to Europe in her lifetime, and she was instrumental in establishing the Sister City relationship between Rapid City and Apolda, Germany.

While Jody had a number of passions, entertaining was near the top. She particularly loved playing host to large gatherings in her Carriage Hills House, always willing to open it to any organization needing a large place to gather. With a unique ability to plan, design, and host activities that people loved to attend, she delighted in hospitality; if a gathering of 80 to 100 people was needed, she would gladly open her home. She also had the rare gift of making every person she met feel special and accepted. She particularly loved to decorate her home for Christmas, as poinsettias lined her staircase and Christmas lights adorned the long roofline. Her home also served as a concert hall for her piano recitals. She taught private piano lessons for 65 years, sharing her gift with more than 700 students and truly passing on her love for music.

Jody and Roy were generous supporters of local institutions, including the Mount Rushmore Society. Those who knew Jody remember her love of the color red, and her love of writing lengthy annual Christmas letters.

She is survived by Roy, her husband of 68 years; children Lucinda “Cyndi” Krebs (and husband Greg), Greg Ketel (and wife Sheila), and Jay Ketel (and wife Laurie); sister Karen Lantz and brother Bob Erickson (and wife Lyla); six grandchildren, four step grandsons and two great-grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Betty Korzan.

A Celebration of Life service will be 11 a.m. Saturday, September 5, 2026, at First United Methodist Church in Rapid City with lunch to follow. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Friday, September 4, 2026, at Osheim and Schmidt Funeral Home in Rapid City.

Memorials may be directed to First United Methodist Church, a music program, the Rapid City Sister City Partnership, or cause of the family’s choosing.