Funeral services for Velma McCarthy, age 97, of Jefferson, Iowa will be held on Thursday, May 27, 2021 at 10:30 AM at the Union Baptist Church in Burke, SD.  Burial will be in the Graceland Cemetery, Burke, SD.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the services at the church.

Velma was born on March 2, 1924 at home on a farm near Platte, South Dakota to Arthur and Bertha (Gilchrist) Tolstedt.  In 1929 her family moved to Gregory County.  Velma was the third oldest of one sister and six brothers.

Velma attended Hornbeck School District #29 northeast of Burke, South Dakota from the fall of 1930 to the spring of 1938.  She started high school at Burke on September 5, 1938 and graduated May 21, 1942.  Velma went on to attend Southern Normal at Springfield, South Dakota 1942-43.  She received a "First Grade Elementary School Certificate" which qualified her to teach until July 1948.  After that she attended summer school at Southern State College when necessary, to renew her certificate.  She also took study centers or workshops to earn extra credits.  The credits she accumulated over the years were equal to a junior in college.  Velma began her teaching career at the Allum School in the Ellston District (September 1943 to June 1944).  Her salary per month amounted to 100 dollars.

Velma married Francis McCarthy on May 13, 1944 at the Baptist parsonage in Bonesteel, South Dakota.  They lived on a farm southwest of Herrick.  Two children were born to this union:  Dean Francis (May 1950) and Gayle Lynn (June 1956).  Velma continued teaching intermittently for 21 years until she retired in 1973.  She taught schools in the Herrick and Burke area and also at Butte, Nebraska.  After retiring from teaching, she continued to work hard along side her husband on their farm.

Velma's greatest joy was spending time with her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews and friends.  No one was a stranger to her.  When recently asked what her hobbies were, she replied, "teaching school".  She loved teaching and cared about her students very much.  She loved people unconditionally and always tried to see the best in others and she was well-known for her wit and sense of humor.  Only 3 or 4 days before her death when Gayle came to see her, her last words to Gayle were: "well sit down for a while".

Velma moved to Jefferson, Iowa the end of March 2015 and lived with Gayle for 3 ½ years and then moved to the assisted living in Jefferson in September 2018.  She went to be with the Lord on May 21, 2021 at the age of 97 years, 2 months and 19 days.

Velma was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Francis on August 31, 2006, her sister Vera and brothers Donald, Ronald, Wayne, Duane, and Louis, her sisters-in-law Ileene, Joyce and Pearl; her brother-in-law Patrick McCarthy and one infant grandson baby Lange.

She is survived by her son Dean (Kay) McCarthy and daughter Gayle (Mark) Lange; her grandchildren: Richard (Uzoma) McCarthy, Lewis (Sarah) McCarthy, Emily (Jeffrey) Otto, Joel (Tanner) Lange, Stephen (Rachel) Lange, 12 great-grandchildren, sisters-in-law Virginia Tolstedt and Opal Tolstedt, one brother and his wife (Lowell and Janet Tolstedt) and many nieces and nephews.