Neva Thomas, 97, of Springfield

Neva died Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at the Good Samaritan Society in Tyndall. Funeral services are 10:30 A.M., Saturday, May 13, 2017 at the United Church of Christ in Springfield. Burial is in the Springfield Cemetery, rural Springfield. Visitation is Friday from 5 to 7 PM at the Crosby-Jaeger Funeral Home in Springfield.

Neva Gertrude Guptill was born December 5, 1919 at the rural home of Walter Scott and Gertrude Vee (Halsey) Guptill located 4 miles northeast of Springfield, SD. She was the second child in the family. When she was 4 years old the family moved to eastern California where her father farmed for 2 years. They returned to South Dakota where she attended Pleasant Ridge country school and Springfield High School. She graduated from High School in 1937 and enrolled in Southern State Normal School. She received One Year Collegiate Course of Study Diploma and was hired to teach a rural school. She taught 5 years in the area and did some substitute teaching during World War II at Hartford, SD.

On July 25, 1942 she was united in marriage to Lt. Clark S. Thomas at Travis Park Methodist Church in San Antonio, Texas where he was stationed taking training as a Navigator for the Army Air Corps. In August Clark was sent to Central America and she returned to her teaching job at Kirkwood Rural School.

In 1945 Clark returned from overseas and was stationed in the Mojave Desert of California until the war ended. Neva worked in the Officers Club which qualified them to live in an apartment on the Base. In September 1945 Clark was discharged from the Army Air Corp and they returned to Springfield. They bought the Ira Smith farm 4 miles northwest of Springfield. There they spend the next 35 years farming and raising their three children. During those years Neva taught Sunday school, sang in the church choir, served several offices in the Women's Fellowship, American Legion Auxiliary, Merry Madams Extension Club, and led a 4-H Club. For several years she baked and decorated wedding, birthday and anniversary cakes.

When their youngest child stated college, Neva took a job as a nurse's aid at St. Michael's Hospital in Tyndall. She retired after 12 years in service there.

Her hobbies include sewing and painting with tempera, oils, and china paint. After retiring Clark and Neva spent 20 winters in southern Texas where she took up quilting. Neva enjoyed gardening and especially raising flowers.

She leaves to celebrate her life, three children Marilyn (Nelson) Stone, Springfield, SD; Donald (Willene) Thomas, Friendswood, TX; and Carol Teal (David Joyce) Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren, her sister Doris (Neil) Thomas, Sisters-in-law Eleanor (Merle) Toyne of Springfield, and Alicia Thomas(Judy O'Donoghue) of Mesa, Arizona, and a host of relatives and friends.

Neva was preceded in death by her husband, Clark, her parents and her brother and sister-in-law, Ralph and Esther Guptill.