Teresa A. Santee

Teresa Ann Santee, 65 of South Sioux City, Nebraska passed away early on Sunday, December 29, 2024 at a local hospital from her chronic health issues.  Abiding by her wishes, cremation has taken place, and a Memorial Service will be at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, January 9, 2025 at Mohr & Becker-Hunt Funeral Home in South Sioux City, Nebraska.  Burial will be at a later date among family in Pender, Nebraska.  Visitation, with family present, will be one hour prior to services on Thursday.

Teresa Ann Roth was born on November 16, 1959, in Pender, Nebraska, to Richard and Charlotte, (nee Kai) Roth. Richard was a farmer from Lyons, and Charlotte was a homemaker originally from Pender. She grew up on the family farm and was close to her grandparents. She attended a country grade school and then graduated from Lyons High School in 1978. Then she attended Wayne State College, where she majored in Special Education for a time. 

She joined the army in the early 1980s but was honorably discharged after becoming severely injured. After she recovered, she worked as a CNA until she moved to McCook Lake, South Dakota where she met Jim Santee and married him in 1987 in Jefferson, South Dakota. They settled in South Sioux City, where Jim lived. At the end of the next year, they would welcome their first child together, a son in 1988. Less than 2 years later they welcomed a daughter in 1990. Teresa worked off- and -on throughout as a CNA in nursing homes and the service industry, but most of the time was spent as a stay-at-home-mom. Most of the last nineteen years of her life were spent taking care of her disabled husband after he suffered an acute stroke. Jim passed away in April 2021. Teresa enjoyed socializing and crafting. She was a member of First Lutheran Church for a significant amount of time living in South Sioux City and was a Sunday school teacher for some years while her children were young.

It was no secret that Teresa had mental health issues and received services from Heartland Counseling. Teresa especially appreciated and loved her therapist, Michelle. Teresa was an advocate for anyone that she knew that was struggling and approached every situation with compassion-not judgement. The Staff and Clients were like a family to her and will miss her very much, especially her extended family at the Life Center.

She was one of the friendliest, most kind-hearted, lively people you could ever meet. She had an optimistic attitude that never seemed to waver and a sparkle that never lost its luster. The saying “A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet," attributed to William Butler Yeats is the way she lived her life. She took great pleasure in saying kind words to everyone, even if they didn’t deserve it. She always looked for the positive and didn’t dwell on the negative.

Everyone who got to know Teresa loved her because of these wonderful qualities, and if you met her and did not take the time to appreciate and love her for the person that she was, then you really missed out on the joy of who she truly was.

Teresa is survived by her children; son, James H. (Tiffany) Santee Jr. of Sioux City and daughter, Terri Santee of South Sioux City. Grandchildren; Marshal and Willow. Mother; Charlotte Roth of Wakefield, Nebraska. Younger siblings; brother, Rondald (Melissa) Roth of Lyons, Nebraska and sister, Marsh Roth of Wayne, Nebraska. Nieces; Haley and Samantha. Stepchildren; stepdaughter, Kitty (Randal) Matz of Rogers, Arkansas and stepson, James M. (Allison) Santee of South Sioux City.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James H. Santee Sr. and her father, Richard Roth.