Wanda Thompson, 93, died Thursday, October 10, 2013, at the Dougherty Hospice House. Funeral service will begin at 11:00 AM on Monday, October 14, 2013, at Springdale Lutheran Church, rural Sioux Falls, with burial to follow at the Springdale Cemetery. The family will be present to greet friends for visitation from 2:00 to 4:00 PM on Sunday, October 13 at George Boom Funeral Home in Sioux Falls.
Wanda Elizabeth Stover, daughter of Walter and Rose (Bachman) Stover, was born April 24, 1920, in Flandreau, SD. She lived with her family on the family farm east of Flandreau until 1923 when they moved to town where she attended Spafford Grade School through the fifth grade. She then attended the Hess #6 rural school in Moody County and later Flandreau High School. Wanda graduated from Flandreau High School in May of 1938.
Wanda then moved to Sioux Falls where she attended Nettleton Business College for one year and worked part-time at Fantle’s Tea Room as a waitress. Over the next few years she worked several jobs including the Pipestone County ASC office, the office at Tri-State Electric in Sioux Falls and the Civilian Air Force Technical Training Command at the Air Force Base in Sioux Falls in the records division.
On January 1, 1944, Wanda married Earl Thompson at First Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls. She would later work as the book keeper for the Harrisburg Farmers Co-Op Elevator. Earl passed away on March 15, 2004 after 60 years of marriage.
Over the years Wanda was a very active member of the Springdale Lutheran Church, Springdale rural school board, Grieg Chorus Auxiliary, 4H Leader, Boy Scouts of America, the Farm Bureau, Lincoln County Pork Producers and was a charter member of the Echo Extension Club. Above all her various involvements, Wanda cherished the time she spent with her family. She was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend who will be greatly missed by all those who shared her life.
Grateful for having shared her life are her daughters, Cheryl (Jerry) Diede, Springfield, MN, Diane (James) Lee, Tulsa, OK; sons, Mark (Jean) Thompson, Forsyth, IL, Gordon (Deb) Thompson, Sioux Falls, and Gregg (Robin) Thompson, Sioux Falls; 14 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; sister, Charlotte Jacobson, Dell Rapids, SD; sister-in-law, Marilyn Skalland, Sioux Falls; brother-in-law, Norman Skalland, Sioux Falls; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Wanda was preceded in death by her husband, Earl Thompson; and her parents, Walter and Rose (Bachman) Stover.