Vera Marie (Tolstedt) McCarthy was born near rural Platte, South Dakota on July 14, 1925, to Arthur and Bertha (Gilchrist) Tolstedt. She entered God's kingdom on October 5, 2011 at the Emeritus Assisted-Living memory unit in Colorado Springs, Colorado having succumbed to complications of Alzheimer's disease.

Vera was the fourth of eight children and grew up on the family farm northeast of Burke, South Dakota. She attended all eight grades at the Hornbeck country school graduating in the spring of 1939. She delayed attending high school for one year to work at home helping her mother and taking care of her baby brother Lowell.

Vera entered Burke High School in the fall of 1940 and graduated in May 1944. She was active in Glee Club and cheer leading. Vera was united in marriage to her high school sweetheart Patrick McCarthy (Class of 1943) on September 9, 1944. From this union there were two children: Dennis and Diane.

Vera spent her entire life in the Burke/Gregory communities. She was a ranch wife, homemaker and mother. But her talents did not end there. Throughout her life, she also assumed a variety of other roles such as carpenter, seamstress, gardener, bakery staff & cake decorator, grocery store clerk and meat cutter. She never undertook a challenge she couldn't master. Her philosophy was that "if it's worth doing, then it's worth doing well!"

Vera had a great love for her family, and was deeply grieved at the loss of her life's mate of 60 years in 2005.

One of the most joyous moments of Vera's life was, at the age of 82, she and great grandson Dermot (2 months) were baptized into Christ.

In July 2009, as the Alzheimer's disease process was severely impacting Vera's ability to live independently in South Dakota, it became necessary to move her to live with her son Dennis (Kay) in Colorado Springs. When the required care level increased, Vera was placed in residency at an assisted-living memory unit in January 2010, where she remained until her death.

Vera was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Patrick; and three brothers Donald (Eileen), Duane (Pearl), and Louis. She is survived by three brothers Ronald Tolstedt of Northville, MI; Wayne (Opal) Tolstedt of Alliance, NE; and Lowell (Janet) Tolstedt of Columbus, OH; and sister Velma McCarthy of Burke, SD; sister-in-laws Virginia Tolstedt and Mary (Virgil) Hill both of Burke, SD; and Sophia McCarthy of Jamison, NE; son Dennis (Kay) of Colorado Springs, CO; daughter Diane Fisher of Rapid City, SD; grandchildren Paul (Orla O'Callaghan) McCarthy of Pueblo, CO; Brian (Shelly) McCarthy of Cary, IL; Jesse Cantrell of Rapid City, SD; Erin (Weston) Cole of Vermillion, SD; and great grandchildren Aidan Patrick and Keira Leah McCarthy of Cary, IL; Tevyn Olivia Cole of Vermillion, SD; and Dermot James McCarthy of Pueblo, CO.

Funeral services for will be held on Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 10:00 AM at St. John's Lutheran Church in Gregory. Burial will be in the Graceland Cemetery in Burke, SD. Visitation will be Wednesday from 5 to 7 PM at Clausen Funeral Home in Burke.

Memorials may be directed to the South Dakota Alzheimer's Society