Joan Thorson

1935 - 2025

Joan Marlene Thorson, 90, of South Dakota and Seattle, passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 19, 2025, at the home of her daughter and grandson. A woman whose warmth, humor, and deep sense of care touched everyone she met, Joan lived a full and meaningful life defined by family, perseverance, and the quiet strength of a teacher's heart.

Born at home on February 7, 1935, in Milltown, South Dakota, Joan was the daughter of Joe and Frances Simmons. The Simmons household was busy and loving, filled with laughter and the bustle of siblings-Duane, Donald, Ilene, Jimmy, and Clifford-whose memories she cherished throughout her life. From an early age, Joan showed an affinity for learning and nurturing, becoming the first in her family to graduate college and pursue a career in teaching.

Joan began her teaching journey in Rapid City, and rural country schools throughout the region, instilling the love of learning in countless students. Her career later took her to schools at Rockyford and Wolf Creek on Pine Ridge, where her dedication and compassion for her students became her hallmark. Whether teaching spelling, penmanship, or life lessons, Joan did so with grace, humor, and unwavering patience.

In addition to her teaching career, Joan's life was firmly rooted in family and love. She married twice, finding devotion and loyalty in both her husbands-first with Jim Hill, and later with her beloved Duck Thorson. With Duck, Joan was married 51 years, and embraced ranch life for over 20 years, keeping him-and the operation-in line with capable hands and an even more capable heart. Together they raised their children Michelle and Troy, building a life rich in shared work, laughter, and the simple joys of the South Dakota prairies.

Joan will forever be remembered as a woman whose kindness and thoughtfulness made her the cornerstone of her family. She was known affectionately as the "fun aunt," quick to laugh, always ready to bake cinnamon rolls, buns, cookies, and pies for brandings, and unafraid to join the kids in a game of "red light, green light" during long winter nights. She literally kept the home fires burning with the stove to warm and dry socks in winter, and boil chokecherries in summer. Old Home bread wrappers never went to waste, as they were winter-boot-waterproofers. Her elegant penmanship, habit of sending calling cards and comforting notes, and her knack for making everyone feel loved are just a few of the qualities that made her unforgettable.

She found joy in simple pleasures-reading the newspaper, watching the noon day news with Duck, History Channel with Troy, and Hallmark movies with Oskar. She never missed out on eating sweets (including the family staples of ice cream and popcorn) tending to her plants, freezing pounds and pounds of homegrown strawberries, making cucumbers delicious with just salt, pepper, and vinegar, and perfecting her mother's chopped apple cake and fry bread "dough dabs". She loved taking road trips to Wyoming and Virginia to visit family, especially following wherever Michelle happened to be. In her younger days, Joan loved dancing and socializing with her sorority sisters, bringing laughter wherever she went.

Joan was preceded in death by her husbands Jim Hill and Duck Thorson; her son, Troy Thorson; parents, Joe and Frances Simmons; and siblings Duane, Donald, Ilene, Jimmy, and Clifford. She is survived by her daughter Michelle Thorson; grandson Oskar Thorson Pardyak; and many nieces, nephews, and extended family members who loved her dearly.

A funeral service will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, January 2 at Kirk's, with visitation prior at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow in New Underwood, and fellowship with food and coffee will be held at the New Underwood Community Center. Pallbearers will be Bruce Berry, Wade Berry, Shane Taylor, Oskar Thorson Pardyak, Wayne White, and Dennis Zelfer.

If people have the power to change lives, Joan did. She married her high school sweetheart who had become a paraplegic, and later brought a free-spirited rodeo cowboy to settle into family and fatherhood. Through her love, she taught by example the meaning of resilience and unconditional devotion. Hers was a life of grace, humor, and abiding love-a life that continues to ripple through the hearts she has forever touched.