Gertrude (Trudy) Ann Thoreson

Gertrude Ann "Trudy" Thoreson, age 87, Watertown, formerly of the Vienna/Willow Lake communities, died peacefully with her husband at her side on Thursday, March 14, 2013 in the Golden Living Center at Lake Norden where she has resided in the Alzheimer's Unit since November of 2011. Visitation will be held on Monday, March 18, 2013 from 4-6PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark and will continue on Tuesday morning after 9AM at the Church in Vienna. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 10:30AM in the Bethlehem Lutheran Church at Vienna with The Reverends Dave Larson and Keith Garness officiating. Spring burial will be held in the Pleasant Lutheran Cemetery near Vienna. The organist will be Dorothy Fuller with special music by Bud & Amy Gusso. Casketbearers will be John & Rolland Thoreson, Doug Davis, Eldon Herker, Dick Reints, and Delmar Tobey. She was born Gertrude Ann McLain on August 20, 1925 on a farm near Bryant, SD, the daughter of Frank and Maude (Brown) McLain. She attended school at Bryant graduating in 1943. She served as President of the Senior Class at Bryant. Trudy then attended Huron College at Huron prior to her employment in Watertown at Midland National Life Ins. Co. On March 3, 1945 she was united in marriage to Harold Thoreson at Watertown. The couple lived and farmed near Willow Lake for some 50 years with Trudy taking an active part in the operation from the livestock to driving the tractor. She also enjoyed raising a big garden and canning. Trudy will long be remembered for her love of baking and cooking and being on the dance floor with Harold. While living on the farm, she also served as the bookkeeper at the Willow Lake Elevator for 16 years. Besides her love of the farm, she also enjoyed painting ceramics, sewing and making quilts which now many family members enjoy. The couple moved from the farm 6 years ago into Watertown where they have resided since. She has been a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Vienna since her marriage where she was active in the Women's groups, the quilting group - making quilts for the needy and for over 20 years served as the director of the Junior and Senior choirs. Since living in Watertown they were members of the Senior Citizens Center where they enjoyed playing cards and they also enjoyed attended ball games in Watertown. In their retired years they enjoyed traveling to nearly every state and also spent 12 winters in Arizona. Preceding her in death were her parents, two sons, six brothers and two sisters. Grateful for having been a part of her life is her husband of over 68 years, Harold of Watertown, sons, Gary Thoreson of Watertown, Jim (Beth) Thoreson of Willow Lake and Brian (Barbara) Thoreson of Knoxville, TN, 3 grandchildren, Toni Tidemann, Bud Gusso and McLain Thoreson and 4 great-grandchildren. She also leaves a sister, Mary McLain of Scottsdale, AZ and many nieces, nephews and a host of friends. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be directed in her memory to the Alzheimer's Association, South Dakota Office, 1000 N. West Avenue #250, Sioux Falls, SD 57104. Funeral arrangements are with the Furness Funeral Home at Clark where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com