Mavis A Nesheim

Mavis Nesheim, age 89, Clark, died peacefully on Sunday, July 7, 2013 in the Golden Living Center at Clark where she had resided the past 10 days. Visitation will be held on Thursday, July 11, 2013 from 5-7 PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark and will continue on Friday after 9AM at the Church in Vienna. Funeral services will be held on Friday, July 12, 2013 at 10:30AM in the Bethlehem Lutheran Church at Vienna with The Reverend Keith Garness officiating. Music will be provided by Sharon Stormo as pianist with Roger Nordhus as soloist. The staffs of the Fay Wookey Memorial Assisted Living Center, The Prairie Lakes Cancer Center and Hospice should all consider themselves as honorary casketbearers. The active casketbearers will be grandchildren, Daniel, Tony, Lenny, Robert and Brandi and Ron Ronke, Allen Ness and Lyle Stevenson. She was born Mavis Alene Ness on February 3, 1924 at Jamestown, ND, the daughter of Elmer and Maude (Cherrington) Ness. The family moved to Clark County, South Dakota when she was about one year old. They lived in various areas of the county. Mavis attended country schools, Willow Lake High School for her freshman and sophomore years and then graduated from Clark High School in 1942. Following her schooling she went to the Black Hills and worked at Provo/Igloo, SD, later in Deadwood and then returned to the family farm in the early 1940's. She met and later married Melvin Nesheim on November 24, 1946 in the parsonage of the Lutheran church at Vienna. The couple drove to his parents' farm in a 1939 Ford for the reception that followed the wedding vows. They lived with his parents and eventually took over the farm which they operated for some 54 years. In addition to living and working on the farm, Mavis also worked for Maynard Farms - helping with potatoes, Interlakes Community Action, and McCain Foods in Clark, She retired in the late 1990's. The couple moved into Clark in 2000 where they have lived until becoming residents of the Fay Wookey Memorial Assisted Living Center in December of 2011. She was a member of the Pleasant Lutheran Church until its closing and then a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church at Vienna. Some of her hobbies included crocheting, playing cards, gardening, both vegetable and flowers, canning, freezing foods, Norwegian Baking, especially lefse and flatbread, baking being known for her lemon pie and working crosswords puzzles. In later years she thoroughly enjoyed using her computer, emailing and even using (watching) Facebook. Many will also recall her love of fixing anything from electric cords to cars to shoes to using her tube tester and fixing a TV or radio! Preceding her in death were her parents, a sister, Sharon (Frank) Croninger and brothers, Dale, Darwin and Garry Ness. Grateful for having shared in her life is her husband of over 66 years, Melvin of Clark, children, Gordon Nesheim of Huron, Sandra (Tom) Jones of Rapid City, Odean (Candy) Nesheim of DeBary, FL and Dave (Valorie) Nesheim of Watertown, grandchildren, Daniel (Holley), Tony, Lenny (Danielle), Robert (Lynn) and Brandi and 4 great-grandchildren, Bradley, Nolan, Payton and Breanne. Also surviving is a sister-in-law, Delores Ness of Watertown, an aunt, Hazel Ness of Clark and numerous nieces and nephews. Furness Funeral Home of Clark is serving the family where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com