Linda Lou Thorson
Linda Lou Thorson, 82, of Groton, SD formerly of Mitchell, passed away quietly in her sleep on Monday, November 16th, 2020 surrounded by her children. Due to COVID restrictions, a private funeral service will be Saturday, November 21, at First Lutheran Church in Mitchell. Visitation for family and friends will be on Saturday, Nov 21 from 10:00-11:30 AM at the Bittner Funeral Chapel in Mitchell. Burial will be at the Gothlind Cemetery in rural Beresford, SD.
Linda was born May 11th, 1939 to Isabelle and Bob Wells of rural Beresford, SD where she was raised on a family farm along with her brother Keith, her grandma (Grannie) and grandpa. Linda loved the farm. She grew up on a saddle; winning countless horse show events before being crowned Sioux Empire Rodeo Queen in 1956. She continued to ride well into her retirement years. Linda attended a small rural country school build by her grandfather before attending Beresford High School where she graduated in 1957. She received a full scholarship from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Linda was involved in music and was a member of the Alpha Phi Sorority House. After two years in the big city, the country in her called her home where she finished her education at Augustana College in Sioux Falls with a degree in education. In 1961 she was married to Gerald Thorson.
Linda was employed for many years at Geyermans of Mitchell where she became interested in fashion. She loved her clothes and jewelry. Later she was hired by Casey’s where she managed stores in three states. She retired in 2014 and spend many happy years in Mitchell with her P.E.O. sisters. Linda was also an active member of the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo Committee and was very involved in volunteer work with her church at First Lutheran in Mitchell. In 2017 she moved into an apartment at Rosewood Court in Groton, South Dakota before spending her final days at Aventara Nursing Home. Her 9 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren were the love of her life attending sporting events as well as other activities. Nothing made her happier than watching her kids at play. Her passion for life and love of family will be greatly missed!
Linda is survived by her three children: Scott (Ann) Thorson of Andover, SD, Kim (Greg) Laasch of Florence, MT, and Chris (Jerrice) Thorson of Sioux Falls, SD; nine grandchildren: Joshua Thorson, Daniel Laasch, Alexander Laasch, Samuel Thorson, Matthew Thorson, Sydney Thorson, Luke Thorson, Leif Thorson and Avery Thorson; seven great-grandchildren; and one brother, Keith (Carol) Wells of Salem, SD.