On Saturday, May 17, 2008, family and friends gathered to celebrate the life and grieve the passing of Thelma Marie (Clark) Stratton.

Thelma was born on June 17, 1916, in Livingston, Mt. to Artie Mae (Norman) Clark and Clem Clark. When she was 12 years old a baby brother, Donald Clark arrived. He is her only surviving sibling. At 17 years old, Brother Kenneth joined the family. He preceded her in death.

Thelma's family traveled a lot, living in many states. They followed the harvest with a group of thrashers, for several years. Thelma remembers helping her Mother cook for thrashers, out of a cook wagon.
The family settled for a period of time in Long Valley, SD. It was in Long Valley that her dashing young prince charming entered her life, and at age 18, in 1934, on Halloween night, she and Louis Stratton eloped to Custer. They spent their honeymoon in a little log cabin, on the edge of Pringle.
Louis and Thelma were married for nearly 60 years before his death at age 86, in 1994.

Most of their life was spent in Custer, with a couple of intervals in Wyo. and California. Thelma had many happy memories of the 14 winters that they became snowbirds and took off with their little camper trailer, for Quartzsite, AZ where they sold, bought and swapped rock and minerals and Thelma pursued her love of creating many crafts. She is known and remembered for her passion with crochet, and many of her Afghans are in the home of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, and will remain as treasured remembrances of, Mom and Grandma.

Louis and Thelma have truly contributed to the biblical challenge to be "fruitful and multiply and fill the earth." They are leaving behind a total of 99 descendants to date and that number is ever increasing. They were blessed with 7 children. One little five year old girl, Mildred Lucille (better known as Peggy), in June of 1952, was struck by a car and killed as she was crossing the road. Thelma never fully recovered from that loss.

Surviving children are:
Evelyn Maxine King (Douglas) of Pringle, SD, Janice Lee Marteny (Byron) of Custer, Milton Earl (Donna) of Simpsonville, SC, Vernon Edward of Custer,
Jerry Wayne (Vicki) of Hot Springs, Steven LeRoy (Glory) of Suffolk, Va.
From these 6 surviving children, Thelma was blessed and survived by 27 Grandchildren, 53 great grandchildren and 13 great, great grandchildren.

In April of 2006, Thelma, while she was living in Landover apartments, fell and broke her hip. After that she moved to Custer regional care center.

She has been alert and active during her stay and is fondly remembered as a 'favorite patient' among the staff at the center. She enjoyed working jigsaw puzzles and always had "one going," on the card table in her room. She left an unfinished puzzle on the table, giving thought, to our lives. What will each of us leave unfinished. Thelma died suddenly and peacefully in her room at the manor, after she had gone to breakfast, on Tues.May13, 2008.

She is greatly missed by her large family and many friends.
Farewell, Thelma, Mom, and Grandma. We will meet again on the great reunion day that we are all looking forward to.

Funeral services were held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, May 17, 2008 at McColley's Chapel of the Hills in Custer with Pastor Matt Furse officiating. Interment followed at Custer Cemetery.

Arrangements have been placed in the care of McColley's Chapel of the Hills in Custer. Written condolences can be made at www.mccolleyschapels.com.