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- The Rapid City Journal (SD)
December 23, 2015
RAPID CITY | Thelma Healey, 88, passed away Saturday, Dec 19, 2015, at Rapid City Regional Hospital.
Thelma Mae Healey was born August 1, 1927, in Manchester, SD, to Harvey and Ida (Sheeler) Talley. She was the youngest girl in the family and the last of 14 siblings to leave this earth. In 1933, her parents moved from Kinsley, Iowa, to Manchester, where Thelma was born. From there they moved to Avance, SD, and began ranch life on the Fanny Griffin Ranch which became known as the – H- Ranch. As the child of a man ahead of his time, Thelma was raised with buffalo, appaloosa horses, bears, oxen, and watching her father fly in one of the flew aeronautic airplanes. She loved the wild west life. She just loved life!
As her older brothers entered the armed services, she left school after eighth grade and worked on the ranch. She became a right hand man to her dad and master seamstress and cook for her mother. Like many children of the World War II era, she became very resourceful and found joy in the simple things. But she loved pretty clothes and to dance, so it's no wonder she met the love of her life at one of those dances in Maurine. She married Clifford "Buck" Healey on April 14, 1946, and their marriage continued for 67 years until his death in June 2013.
They spent several years in Belle Creek, MT, in the oil field until Buck's retirement in 1986. They built their first home in Rockerville and entertained everyone who would come until they moved in to Rapid City. It gave Thelma great pleasure to prepare a feast for your visit and that's how she showed her love. If you left her table hungry, there was surely something wrong with you! She baked for the church gatherings, grandchildren's bake sales, community hall fundraising events or just for Buck.
And she loved their motorhome life, especially winters in Gold Canyon near Apache Junction, AZ. They set up camp in the resort and life was never the same for their neighbors. Thelma was known to short sheet a bed or two, blow her horn to wake you up or hold court for a dinner gathering. Thelma Lou, as she called herself, embraced life as we all should.
Thelma is survived by daughters, Darla Kent (Randy Hill), Billings, MT, and Lorie Healey-Barnes (Evan), Rapid City, and son, Marlon (Ann), Rapid City. Her beloved grandchildren, Christopher (Mary), College Station, TX, Andrea (Dominick) Heck, Bowman, ND, Amber (Dillon) Brandt, Gillette WY, and Amanda (James) Dyk, Rapid City. Added to the family are grandchildren, Renee, Jacey and Chris. The next generation which gave her great joy are Allie, Alexis, Jace, Sydney, Cooper, Malaika, Annia, Belita, Andre and Josiah. Sister-in-law, Arlene Talley Beebe of Diamondville, WY. And all of her beloved nieces and nephews…you know who you are.
Private burial will take place at Pine Lawn Memorial Park.
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1927 - 2015 (88 years)
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