Brenda Ritzman

Brenda Ritzman, age 56, of Madison, passed away on Monday, July 6th at the Sanford Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls.

There will be a family mass at 10:30 AM on Thursday at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church with Father Bob Vinslauski as the Celebrant.  Visitation will be 5-7 PM on Wednesday at Weiland Funeral Chapel with a prayer service at 7 PM.  Burial will be in St. Thomas Cemetery, Madison.  The family mass will be livestreamed on Weiland Funeral Chapel Facebook page.  Online condolences can be sent at www.weilandfuneralchapel.com.

Brenda Marie Ritzman was born July 16, 1963 in Mitchell, SD the daughter of Gary & Shirley (Bender) Ritzman.  She moved to Madison with her parents on September 1, 1968.  She attended grade school at St. Thomas and graduated from Madison High School in 1981.  She attended SDSU for one year before she moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where she sold cars for two years.  Brenda then moved to San Diego and worked for Bob Baker Ford and developed the internet sales program.  By implementing this program, it allowed Brenda to sell cars on the internet, which allowed her several sales awards.  All of these awards gave Brenda a lot of attention and she was interviewed for an article about her development of the internet program in the magazine Ford Country.  After selling cars, she decided to manage an apartment complex until she moved to Sioux Falls in 2012.  Brenda began working for Wells Fargo, but due to illness she could no longer work and became eligible for full disability.  In 2019, she decided to move back to Madison to spend more time with her family.    

She will be remembered for being funny, antique collector, wearing old-style hats from the 1920s era and getting herself dressed up. 

Brenda is survived by her parents-Gary (Shirley) Ritzman of Madison; two brothers-Ken (Angie) Ritzman of San Diego, CA and James Ritzman of Sioux Falls; four sisters-Patricia (Dean) Burton of Yuma, AZ, Mary Ritzman of Madison, SD, Monica (Felix) Guerrero of Phoenix, AZ and Julie Ritzman of Peoria, AZ along with several nieces & nephews.  

She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Virgil & Teresa Ritzman & maternal grandparents, Theodore & Celia Bender.