Funeral services for Doris Thomas, of Chamberlain, SD will be 5:00 p.m. Thursday, October 7, 2021 at the Water of Life Assembly of God Church in Chamberlain, SD.  A committal service will take place at a later date.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the Assembly of God Mission Fund, 202 E Clemmer, Chamberlain, SD 57325 or SD ROCS Senior Nutrition Program, 219 N Main, Chamberlain, SD 57325.

Doris Lou Jean was born in O’Neill, NE to Bernard and Doris (McIntosh) Pond.  After the divorce of her parents, Doris and her sister were raised by various relatives.  They lived and attended schools in Omaha, West Point, Atkinson, and O’Neill, NE.  When her father remarried, she lived and attended school in O’Neill prior to moving to Chamberlain where she worked at St. Joseph’s Indian School.  She later worked for Brule County as the Deputy Clerk of Courts; State of South Dakota as a Court Clerk Magistrate II, and for Dakota Plains Legal Services as a Paralegal for 26 years, prior to her retirement in 2007.  She served on the Board of Directors for Swift Horse Lodge, Habitat for Humanity, and South Central Community Action Program, and was Secretary for the United Fund.  She also served several years on the Deacon Board of the Assembly of God Church, where she was an active member.

Doris spent many years fighting for Native American Family’s rights and she was a friend to all.

She liked to garden and read.  You would find Doris sitting in her van by the river reading her Bible.  Most of all she enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and spent many hours, over the years, doing special things with them, like going on “Secret Missions”, “Ron-d-vous”, and going to the “Jungle”. She taught several of the grandchildren to drive which was a highlight for her and them.  She had a special bond with the grandchildren and loved that they would come over and they would bake a cake, cry over boyfriend/girlfriend, or complain about their parents.

Doris was the last of the “Granny Gang” of Thelma Douville, Gladys Biskeborn, and Eleanor Saukerson.

Doris passed away surrounded by family on October 2, 2021 at Sanford Care Center in Chamberlain.  Gratefully sharing her life are her daughters Vicki Akcay, LouAnn (Billy Hawk) Gerard, and Sarah (Jeff) Jackson; sons Tom Thomas, Tim (Peggy) Thomas, and John (Mary) Thomas; grandchildren Matt (Donna), Amber (Clarence), Claire, Heather, Katie, Justin “Beeze” (Amy), Isaac, Austin (Michelle), Jenny (Lance), Desi (Steve), Shandra, TJ (Kelsey), Jeremy (Melissa), Dustin (Megan), John “Toad”, Erica (Kyle), Regina (Alex), Jared (Kailey), Ethan (Miranda), Emily (Trenton), Rachel (Aaron), Hannah; many great grandchildren, great great grandchildren, “adopted children” Leanne and Kevin; brother Richard Anderson; adopted sister Jeannie Eagle; adopted granddaughter Jalynn Eagle; and many other relatives and friends especially including the Douville, Marsh, and Saukerson Gangs and “Dazzee”, her dog.

Preceding her in death were both her paternal and maternal grandparents, her mother, her father and step-mother, son Stephen Paul, daughters Carmel Marie and Mary Noel Hunter, great grandchildren Taylor Cleland and Alex Woodraska, sisters Arlene, Joyce, and Maxine, brother Frank, Lyle and Elroy, and a niece Melody.

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