Thelma Hepper

View Thelma's Tribute Video

Thelma Rose Norris Hepper, loooooong time resident of Potter County, passed away on Thursday, May 30, 2019 at Avera St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen, SD, after a short, short, illness.  It was her intention to set a new Norris record for longevity by exceeding her Uncle Cliff Norris’s record of 92 years and 1 month. Soooooo close!

Funeral services were held at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at the United Methodist Church, Gettysburg, with burial in the Gettysburg Cemetery. A prayer service was held at  7:00 p.m., Monday, June 10, 2019, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Gettysburg. There will also be a special tribute to her son, Mark Hepper, who passed away May 9, 2019 in Layton, Utah.

Thelma was born July 1, 1927; the 5th child in a family that grew to 10 children and flourished despite the great depression.  Her father introduced them as “My “crop” that never failed”. She grew up on the family farm south of Lebanon and attended (as did most of her siblings) all 8 years at Roy rural school just ½ mile from their farm.

Thelma graduated from Gettysburg High School, class of 1945, the Honor student of her class.  WWII had created a teacher shortage so after only 5 weeks of summer school in Spearfish, SD she began a teaching career. In all, that career lasted 30 years (with a few years off to start a family). She enjoyed teaching and the students she taught.  In an interview with the Potter County news (1990) she said of her years in the rural public schools, “I’ve had the opportunity to teach a lot of wonderful people over the years.  I’ve been very fortunate. Because you teach the same children for sometimes three, four years in a row, I think you become much closer than public school teachers. Not only that, but you get to know their families.”  She went on to teach the children of some of her former students. “Once you teach them, they become a little like yours.” she said. I still like to keep track of them.” Along with all her other students, she taught the last 4 of her own for some of their elementary school years.  Being a teacher all over Potter County cemented Thelma’s interest, friendships and loyalty to the people there. She spent all but 3 of her nearly 92 years in Potter County ….and that was her choice.

She married Herbert Arnold Hepper November 20, 1948 in the United Methodist Church, Gettysburg, SD. ……. So she has come full circle.  

They spent the first two years of their marriage on a farm north of Gettysburg and then moved to Gettysburg.  It was during this time that they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which was to be a positive influence on them for the rest of their lives.  Four daughters later, ….in the spring of 1955, they moved back to the farm. . . . sadly, without their 3rd daughter, Sheryl Jean, who passed away shortly before her first birthday from a brain tumor. In all, 9 children were born to Herb and Thelma.  

They bought a farm east and south of Gettysburg and farmed both places for a few years before finally moving a house to the “new” farm and moving into it in Dec. 1971 (over Christmas vacation).  Thelma went back to teaching school in 1965. She also taught primary and adult Sunday School or served in her church’s ladies organization as well…… all while helping with the farm work, giving birth to her 9th child (in 1967), encouraging her own children to do their studies and piano lessons and still found the time to complete her own college courses so that her life was busy with learning and teaching all year around. She graduated from Northern State College in 1977, with a B. S. degree in Education; all credits had been earned in either summer school or NSC extension courses she attended on Saturday mornings after a full week of teaching.

Thelma’s life was busy and required all of her talents and endurance.  She helped, first her father on his farm with a team and horses to do the haying & cultivating and then her husband, doing the same job (only by this time using a tractor without a cab).  Having found that Thelma, at the age of 12 or so, had quite a knack for making delicious pie crust, her mother turned over the pie-making duties to her. Thelma also had a knack for music, singing and performing. She and her sister, Betty often entertained family and guests with their musical talents.  Later on, Mom and Dad quickly found that while traveling in a car with children of assorted ages, it helped to have everyone singing; so Dad sang bass and Mom sang alto, and however many children joined right in. She was a master gardener, seamstress and barber and when the grandchildren began to arrive she was a favorite choice to babysit as well.  She loved to read and passed that love on to her children by reading many, many books to them. Thelma crochet, researched family history on both her and Herb’s family lines. When she passed away there was a Bible, a novel, the TV remote and an almost finished pot holder with the crochet hook and a ball of yarn on her table in the living room.

She retired from teaching in 1989 and in 1995 she and Herb moved to Gettysburg where she said she was busier after she retired than when she taught full time.  Thelma worked part-time at both the local Family History Center and Dakota Sunset Museum and was an enthusiastic, faithful member of her church and the local Historical Society.  Self-taught, She played piano and accordion “by ear” at the Manor for her own as well as their enjoyment. Herb passed away in 2004 and she spent the next 15 years participating in local events, visiting and being visited by her 8 children, 23 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren.

In the last few years, she joined the Legion Auxiliary, played cards at the Senior Center and enjoyed visits to and from extended family. Her father having been born in England, Thelma had always wanted to visit relatives there.  She got her wish and was also able, to visit Branson Missouri, Hawaii, Alaska and many historical places in the continental U. S.

Thelma was fortunate to enjoy good health for most of her life with only a minor stroke which caused some trouble swallowing and then, in her 80’s, one hip replacement. She summed up her life in these words………. “It has been a full, fruitful life.  It hasn’t all been easy, or fun. What has made it meaningful is to know the gospel is true; that life is eternal, and that if they want it badly enough, their family can be forever.”

Thelma outlived her parents, Vic and Carrie (Crane) Norris, her 9 siblings:  Helen Edlund, June Simon, Dorothy Pranger, Betty Masters, Lewis, Duane, Lloyd, Ray and Jim; two children: Sheryl, and Mark and also three of her 23 grandchildren:

In company with many extended relatives and friends, Thelma will be much missed by her 7 children: KATHY (Steve) Reid and her 3 children and 3 grandchildren; PAT (Duane) Snyder and their 2 children and 4 grandchildren; LAUREL Lemler and her 4 children  and 6 grandchildren; GERRY (Allison) and their 2 children and 3 grandchildren; JAN (Lance) Hardman with their 3 children and 7 grandchildren: MARK’s wife, Tiffany, and 3 children; SCOTT and his 4 children: and PHIL (Angel) with 2 children and 1 grandchild.  That’s 23 grandchildren and their spouses and 23 great grandchildren. Hopefully, Thelma’s “crop that never fails”.

Luce Funeral Home of Gettysburg has been entrusted with Thelma’s arrangements.

TRIBUTE TO THELMA HEPPER

Thelma Hepper, our dear little mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, teacher, and friend, passed away from heart failure on Thursday, May 30^th, 2019.

Although we rejoiced that her last illness was so short, her death took us by surprise and in her swift flight to Heaven, she carried off a part of each of us who loved her.

Thelma lived a full, lengthy life of almost 92 years.   She had a great memory and a gift for storytelling, so we’d like to share a few of her memories.

1. She learned to milk cows when she was 8 years old.   As she and her dad milked together he would sing songs from WWI and teach her simple English folk melodies that he’d learned as a child.  This time together was very precious to her.
2. She attended Roy School, a country school in Potter County where she had only 3 classmates, one was her cousin Doris Crane.   Roy School had indoor, commercial toilets. No farm family in the area had indoor plumbing at this time, so Thelma felt fortunate to attend “such a progressive school.”
3. Thelma’s 4 years of high school were in Gettysburg during WWII.  She remembers that Freshman initiation “consisted of wearing our clothes inside out and backwards for several days, sporting big green ribbons in our hair, and carrying baby bottles with us everywhere.”
4. Due to the war, by her senior year, her class had shrunk to half of its original size.   By January, when 5 more boys had volunteered for Service, the class decided to hold an early class picnic.  It had to be held in the Home Ec. Room instead of the school’s traditional spot at the river.
5. Immediately after high school, because of the shortage of teachers, Thelma took an accelerated summer school course and became qualified to teach.  Her first school was Copp School with 11 students in grades 1-7. What a way to jump feet first into a teaching career!
6. Thelma met her future husband, Herbert (Arnold) Hepper at a roller skating rink in Lebanon.  It was an instant, mutual attraction. Being a social person, Thelma knew everyone there except a guy and girl who came in together.  She thought the guy was “so good looking”, but figured he was dating the girl because he helped the girl put on her skates.  However he soon left the girl and skated off. Thelma then hoped the girl was his sister and went over to her to subtly find out.  

Their love lasted a lifetime.  After a few years of marriage, Mom and Dad joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and were married this time for eternity in the Idaho Falls Temple.  Their grandchildren felt this love because most family sing-a-longs ended with Dad and Mom singing as a duet the Vince Gill song,

“Look at Us”

Look at us After all these years together

Look at us After all that we’ve been through

Look at us Still leaning on each other

If you want to see How true love should be

Then just look at us

Dad Look at you Still pretty as a picture

Mom Look at me Still crazy over you

Look at us Still believin’ in forever

If you want to see How true love should be

Then just look at us

7. Thelma and Herb married and lived a short time in Gettysburg, then moved to a farm North of Gettysburg.  They had 9 children with 8 of them living to adulthood.

We children remember an upbringing full of music, reading, hard work, and faithful church attendance.  Although we groaned and complained, the hard work produced a powerful sibling unity and lots to joke about in later years.

The grandchildren remember all of the singing, with their Grandma playing the accordion or the piano and Grandpa playing the guitar.  They loved Grandma’s “thin pancakes” which she made by the boat load for hungry kids. Her snowball candies were a must-have. They also remember tormenting her by throwing objects down the laundry shot, which ended in her basement kitchen.

 In her later years, Thelma lived in Gettysburg, a town she dearly loved and always called “home.”  We wish to thank the people of Gettysburg for loving her and helping make those last years so pleasant for Mom.  She loved receiving marriage and graduation announcements from former students. She enjoyed her hours visiting and playing cards with friends at the Senior Center.  She greatly appreciated the delivery of food right to her door.

Thelma had a strong belief and faith in God and Jesus Christ.  She looked forward more and more to her reunion with Dad and our baby sister Sherry and our brother Mark who preceded her by exactly three weeks.  We can picture the joyful reunion that took place.

Mom, we love you and will miss your vibrant, loyal, loving presence in our lives.

Thelma outlived her parents, Vic and Carrie (Crane) Norris, her 9 siblings:  Helen Edlund, June Simon, Dorothy Pranger, Betty Masters, Lewis, Duane, Lloyd, Ray and Jim; two children: Sheryl, and Mark and also three of her 23 grandchildren:

In company with many extended relatives and friends, Thelma will be much missed by her 7 children: KATHY (Steve) Reid and her 3 children and 3 grandchildren; PAT (Duane) Snyder and their 2 children and 4 grandchildren; LAUREL Lemler and her 4 children  and 6 grandchildren; GERRY (Allison) and their 2 children and 3 grandchildren; JAN (Lance) Hardman with their 3 children and 7 grandchildren: MARK’s wife, Tiffany, and 3 children; SCOTT and his 4 children: and PHIL (Angel) with 2 children and 1 grandchild.

That’s 23 grandchildren and their spouses and 23 great grandchildren.  Hopefully, Thelma’s “crop that never fails”.