Elinor Janice Wintrode, known to all as Jan, 91, passed away peacefully in her sleep and transitioned to her heavenly home on September 17, 2026, while under the care of The Village at Skyline Pines long-term care facility. Jan was born on October 27, 1934, in Mitchell, South Dakota, the fourth daughter of Howard Lee and Viola (Rudloff) Treganza. She grew up in Mitchell, where she met and married her first husband, Larry Gene Mann, in 1951. Together they had three children: David Lee, born while they lived in Yankton, SD, and Vickie Lynn and Ronald Gene, born after they relocated to California. Jan and Larry later divorced, and she moved with her children back to South Dakota, settling in Canton. While raising her young family, she determinedly pursued her education, graduating from Canton High School in 1959. Jan was a devoted and loving mother, always willing to help her children achieve their goals or lend a helping hand in difficult circumstances. Her children will always treasure and remember the unwavering help, support, and guidance she gave them. Jan also deeply loved each of the many dogs she had over the years. She would occasionally tease that she loved her dogs more than her children because “they didn’t talk back!” While living in Canton, Jan worked at Farmers State Bank as the executive assistant to the bank president. It was there that she met Walter Wintrode, who was working as a bank examiner for the South Dakota Department of Banking and Finance. The two became good friends and were married in 1966. In 1970, Walt was appointed by Governor Frank Farrar as the director of banking and finance, prompting the family’s move to Pierre, SD. Jan and Walt shared 30 wonderful years of marriage before his passing in 1996. Jan was a deeply devoted member of the First United Methodist Church. Over the years, she taught Sunday School, sang in the church choir, and participated in church circles and Bible studies. Always willing to pitch in, she frequently baked for events and helped serve funeral luncheons and community dinners. Attendees of the church’s annual Thanksgiving meal always looked forward to her famous pickled beets, which she canned using a “secret family recipe” everyone wished they could steal. Beyond her community involvement, Jan was incredibly talented. As an expert seamstress, she designed and sewed many of her children’s clothes as they grew up. She also possessed a passion for creating intricate, handmade quilts, incorporating techniques like candlewicking and piecing traditional patterns entirely by hand. Her beautiful needlepoint, cross-stitch creations, and quilts remain cherished family heirlooms. Jan was a true perfectionist who lived by the motto, “If you can’t do it right, why do it at all?” Highly independent and persistent, if she didn’t know how to do something, she would always find a way to figure it out. In addition to her early banking career, Jan worked for many years in Pierre as a legal assistant, both for the Attorney General’s Office and the State’s Attorney. Though she was able to largely retire in her 40s, she occasionally put her sharp skills to use typing for court reporters. Jan is survived by her three children: David (Karen) Mann of St. Charles, MO; Vickie Mann of Casper, WY; and Ronald (Laurie) Mann of Brookings, SD; her sister, Jeanne Nash of Shawnee, KS; as well as 9 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Viola Treganza; her sisters, JoAnne, Jackie, and Mary Jane; her husband, Walt; her stepchildren, Karen Ellingson and Warren Wintrode; and her many wonderful dogs who loved her dearly. A celebration of her life, along with burial at Graceland Cemetery, will be held in Mitchell, SD, at a later date.