Ardelle Lundeen Roberts
Ardelle Lundeen Roberts
Ardelle Lundeen Roberts, 92, died on Sunday, November 28, 2021, in Lincoln, NE. She was a Milbank High School graduate and former professor at South Dakota State University (SDSU) in Brookings.
A Mass of Christian Burial was conducted on Saturday, December 4, at St. Thomas More Catholic Parish in Brookings. Interment was in the St. Thomas More Catholic Cemetery in Brookings.
Ardelle Anna was born April 16, 1929, in Milbank to Louis and Virginia (Kockx) Tuchscherer. She grew up on a farm, attended country school, graduated from Milbank High School in 1946, and worked for Northwestern Bell Telephone Company.
Ardelle married Kenneth G. Lundeen on December 6, 1947. They lived in Omaha, NE, Milbank, and Brookings where she continued to work for Northwestern Bell and then the City of Brookings Telephone Department.
Ardelle resigned her position with the telephone company in 1967 and
enrolled at SDSU, obtaining a bachelor of science degree in economics in 1970 and a master’s degree in 1971. She entered Iowa State University in 1972, obtaining a Ph.D. in economics in 1976. She began teaching in the Economics Department at SDSU in January 1976. She was appointed head of the department in 1986 and retired in 1996. For the academic year, 1996-97, she taught at the Academy of Economic Sciences in Bucharest, Romania. She returned to SDSU as director of Academic Evaluation during the 1997-98 academic year.
Ardelle’s particular interest was the role of women in economics and other non-traditional fields. She was one of a group of female economists who formed the Committee of Women in Agricultural Economics and served as its first president. She continued to be active in the committee throughout her career. Dr. Roberts was a career-long member of the American Agricultural Economics Association, several honor societies, and elected to the AAEA Foundation Board.
After retirement, Dr. Roberts was active in community and church affairs, serving on several Brookings boards and committees including the Swiftel Board, Brookings Health System Board, Brookings Health System Foundation Board, Advance Board and St. Thomas More Building and Financial Committees. A long-time member of Altrusa, she served in all local and district offices.
During her lifetime, Dr. Roberts traveled extensively visiting more than 27 countries either work-related or for pleasure.
Dr. Roberts married Dr. Charles Roberts in September 2004.
Survivors include sons: Michael (Gail) of Lincoln and Jon of Augusta, GA; one granddaughter; three grandsons; five great-grandsons; two great-granddaughters, and sister, Cheryl Radermacher of Milbank.
She was preceded in death by both husbands, and an infant daughter and son.
