The Funeral Service for Erma Schopp, age 86 of Lemmon, will be held at 10:30am Saturday, March 30, 2013 at Calvary Lutheran Church in Lemmon. Pastor Bob Edwards will officiate with burial in Greenhill Cemetery at Lemmon.

Special music will be provided by Marilyn Willey.

Serving as Honorary Casketbearers are Erma's granddaughters, Michelle Richards, Lesley Augedahl, Rachel Petersen, Melanie Schopp, Maggie Elizondo, Tawny Schopp, and Zoey Schopp. Active Casketbearers are Erma's grandsons, Sean Peterson, Douglas Schopp, Jeremy Schopp, Scott Petersen, John Petersen, Cody Schopp, Chad Schopp, Gayge Schopp, and Chandler Schopp.

A memorial has been established.

ERMA ALTIA THOM was born May 22, 1926 on the Thom homestead north of Lemmon in Adams County, ND to Herman and Altia (Potter) Thom. She grew up on a farm 6 miles north of Lemmon and attended North Lemmon School and graduated from Lemmon High School in 1944.

Erma began working as a secretary for (PCA) Production Credit Association in 1944. In 1946, she started working at the First National Bank. She was united in marriage to John Schopp on September 12, 1946 at Lemmon, SD. She continued working at the bank until 1948 when she devoted most of her time to raising her family. Four children were born to this union, Marianne, Alvin, Ken, and Gloria.

During the years from 1945 to 1950, she also worked at Schirber's Livestock and Penfield Sales Barn and from 1962 to 1969 at Lemmon Livestock. The Schopp's also operated a laundromat in Lemmon for 18 years and was also a personal secretary for James H. Lemmon for many years.

In 1963, Erma returned to PCA where she worked until her retirement in 1985, when she retired. Her husband John passed away on February 1, 1991. She enjoyed spending time traveling to visit her children and grandchildren. Erma continued to live in her home until her health began to fail in 2008.

Erma passed away on Sunday, March 24, 2013 at Five Counties Nursing Home in Lemmon.

Erma was a member of Calvary Lutheran Church. She was a devoted parent sports fan, attending numerous sporting events while her children were in school and then later on attending her grandchildren's school activities. She spent countless hours playing scrabble with a shut-in neighbor. Erma and John worked 6 days during the week but always took time on Sunday to plan family outings or visits with family and friends.

Surviving family members include her 2 daughters and sons-in-law, Marianne and Noel Peterson, Canton, SD; Gloria and Rich Petersen, Cody, WY; 2 sons and 1 daughter-in-law, Alvin and Susan Schopp, Cavalier, ND; and Ken Schopp, Lemmon, SD; 16 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, 1 brother and sister-in-law, Leslie and Lydia Thom, Rapid City, SD; and on the Schopp side of the family 2 brothers-in-law, Edwin Schopp, Roanoke, VA; and Fred and Beverly Schopp, Meadow, SD; and 1 sister-in-law, Rose and Floyd Martin, Shadehill, SD; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and 2 brothers and sisters-in-law, David and Ruby Thom and Fritz and Helen Thom.
Visitation will be on Friday from 1:00 to 9:00pm at the Evanson-Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon.