Dolores Mattson, 87 of Spearfish, passed on October 28, 2016 at her home.
She was born on August 12, 1929 in Harrold, South Dakota to Fred and Martha (Shock) Schopen, the third of six children. Her family moved to Lead in August of 1931 where her father obtained employment with Homestake Mining Company.
At the age of 4, Dolores started grade school at St. Patrick's and graduated from Lead High School in 1947. In 1969, she earned her B.S. degree in Elementary Education from Black Hills State Teacher's College (now University). She was a teacher in the Lead-Deadwood school system, where she taught 1st grade for more than 20 years, before retiring in 1991.
In 1951, she was united in marriage to James A. Mattson. They are parents to Pam and Richard and they have three grandchildren. Jim and Dee lived in Lead until 1992 when they moved to Spearfish.
Dee was a member of St. Josephs Catholic Church and the Spearfish Senior Center. She was a 50+ year member of Beta Sigma Phi, a 25-year member of Delta Kappa Gamma, a long-time member of the Northern Hills Retired Teachers and 16-year member of Spearfish Line Dancers.
Dolores enjoyed her family and extended family; with her whole heart she embraced and fulfilled her duties as wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, sister and friend. She especially enjoyed her grandchildren. She liked to cook, entertain, read, play cards, dance and write "quotation books".
She is survived by her daughter, Pam and her husband, David Thurber of Salem, Oregon; her son, Richard and his wife, Cindy of Scottsdale, Arizona; her grandchildren, James Thurber, Kathryn Thurber Maron and her husband, Justen Maron, and Tanner Mattson; her brother-in-law, Don Olson, Belle Fourche and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Jim; her sisters, Alice Olson, Lerena Carreto and her husband Marty, and Irene Kennison and her husband Darrell; her brothers, Ralph Schopen and his wife Arlene and James Schopen and his wife Judy.
Service will be at St. Josephs Catholic Church at 11:00AM on November 4, 2016 and burial will be at the National Cemetery. A memorial has been established at the Grace Balloch Memorial Library in Spearfish. Donations may be made to Friends of the Library, 625 N. Fifth Street, Spearfish, SD 57783. The funds will support the Reach program which purchases books for every first grader in Spearfish.
Arrangements are under the care of Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels and Crematory Service of Spearfish. Online condolences may be written at www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com