Obituary | Gert Thorstenson of Mobridge, South Dakota

March 24, 1932 – December 21, 2024

Funeral services for Gert Thorstenson, 92, of Mobridge will be at 10:30 AM, Friday, June 27, 2025, at the Family Worship Center in Mobridge. Burial will be at Bethlehem Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge. Gert passed away Saturday, December 21, 2024, at the Walworth County Care Center in Selby. 

Gert K. Thorstenson was born March 24, 1932at Selby, South Dakota to Edmund and Martha (Stadel) Mauch. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church. She grew up on her parents’ farm north of Selby and graduated from Selby High School.

On June 25, 1950, she married Cal Thorstenson at Bethany Lutheran Church, northwest of Selby and they made their home on a ranch 24 miles east of McLaughlin. They both very dearly loved ranch life. They had three children, Cindy, Craig, and Collin and three grandchildren. Cody, Cyle, and Amy.

Redeemer Lutheran Church in McLaughlin was their church home for many years. She was a past president of Women of the Church and also served on Church Council. In later years, she became a member of the Family Worship Center of Mobridge.

Gert was Clerk in charge at Kenel Rural Branch Port Office for seven years and an Insurance Agent for 21 years; her office was in McLaughlin. She was a member of Aberdeen Life Underwriters Association. She was awarded State and District Awards during her insurance career.  She enjoyed so much the constant contact with people in the community and in her insurance extended area.

She served as local manager, Sec-Treasurer of McLaughlin Housing Development Corp from time of origin until year 2000 with help of four very loyal board member. She referred to this as her Public Service Job.

While other people golfed, she enjoyed the great outdoors on her riding mower and took pride in trying to have a nice yard. She was a member of the 20th Century Club at Mobridge after her retirement. Her favorite entertaining was to have coffee guests and she was a very gracious hostess.

Tragedy struck in July of 1991, when husband Cal lost his life in a sudden tragic accident. She was always grateful for the caring and support of the whole community at that very sad time in her life. She continued to manage and operate the ranch for the next seven years with the help of hired hands.  She sold the ranch in 1998, retired and continued to live in the home they had built at the ranch and would spend some time during the winter at Tip O-Texas RV Park at Pharr, TX with other retired insurance agent friends. Later in life she moved to Mobridge and then later to Selby.

She is survived by daughter Cindy Dresow of Florida Keys, one son Collin of Scottsdale, Arizona, three grandchildren, Cyle, Amy, Cody (Meg) Thorstenson, one great grandson Collin Thorstenson of Arizona, one sister Annette Schuetzle of Herreid, three sisters-in-law Jeanette Thorstenson of Rapid City, Dee Thorstenson of Nevada and JoElla Thorstenson of Selby and numerous nieces and nephews.

Gert was preceded in death by husband Cal, son Craig, her parents, her mother-in-law and father-in-law, three sisters and brother in laws Viola and Norman Kuehl, Golden, Colorado, Alice and Bill Petitt, Napa, California, Shirley and Darwin Sulzle of Placentia, California, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-laws, August (Bud) Thorstenson, Rapid City, Norman and Sally Thorstenson, Selby, Lawrence Thorstenson, Las Vegas, Nevada, Ken Thorstenson, Selby, Lawrence Thorstenson, Las Vegas, Nevada, Alice Thorstenson of Las Vegas, Nevada and Margaret Dance, of California. 

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