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Submitted: 9/26/21 • Approved: 9/27/21 • Last Updated: 9/30/21 • R272695-G272695-S3
Doris Aileen Psychos-Carlson
August 1, 1928 - November 20, 2020
Doris Carlson, wife, mother, grandmother, and briefly great-grandmother, died peacefully on November 20, 2020, at Good Samaritan Center in Sioux Falls, SD, at age 92.
Doris Aileen Ives was born on August 1, 1928, in Moore, PA, (South of Philadelphia, and now Prospect Park, PA) to Charles and Kathryn Ives. The blended family included stepbrothers, Paul, Charles, and Foster Fuller. As a child, she loved to travel and visit the ocean. Her family often took ferry rides across the Delaware River to Ocean City and Atlantic City in NJ.
At age 15, her father moved the family to Roulette, PA, a 48-acre farmstead, and the ‘city girl’ helped raise 1,200 baby chickens! The day after graduating from Roulette High School, she started her first job selling tickets at the mysterious Coudersport Ice Mine. Because the ice melts in winter and freezes in summer, that job lasted just three months. For the next four years, she worked at the Rexall Drug store selling cosmetics & talking with customers. When that store closed, she worked two years at Bell Telephone as a local operator eventually transferred those skills to Northwestern Bell in SD.
She followed her future husband, Bill Psychos, after a six-month courtship to Sioux Falls, SD, for him to attend Nettleton Business College in January of 1954. They were married in Luverne, MN, on February 26, 1954. Mom worked at Northwestern Bell and was an occupational therapist at the VA until daughters Cassie and later Cindi were born. When Bill started the South Dakota Hairstyling Academy, Doris worked there as a receptionist and enjoyed meeting and talking with customers; she kept in contact with many former students throughout the years. When the Academy closed, she worked at Fantles, Central Plains Clinic, and Dermatology until a hearing loss forced retirement in 1996.
Mom loved traveling, taking photos, collecting postcards & organizing them in scrapbooks. She traveled to many US states, but her favorites were to see Cindi and ‘third daughter’ Mary Eagleson in Jamestown, ND, her dear friends, Dale and Susan Amundson in Grand Marais, or going on several Caribbean cruises courtesy of them. While researching family history, she learned of a half-sister living in Oregon and visited her twice, and they became fast friends.
Volunteering was an essential part of who Mom was, and it all began teaching Sunday School at First Baptist Church and later serving in the Stephen ministry. “March Birthdays” were celebrations of her adult Sunday School that lasted several decades with Mom as keeper of the photo albums. She belonged to the Worthing, SD Chapter of Eastern Star for over 50 years and, as Worthy Matron, took much pride in initiating both daughters into Eastern Star. Other volunteer groups were El Raid Hospitality Auxiliary, DAU Auxiliary, the American Legion Auxiliary, and the American Business Women groups. For many years she and Verne were docents at the Great Plain Zoo, where they cared for the flowers. She was always ready to chaperone field trips for her grandson’s classes and often accompanied Cassie’s science classes at Covell Lake and the Henry Doorly Zoo. Mom taught a craft to Cindi’s students one year, and “Craft Day” became a yearly event.
Mom loved creating and completed over 100 different hobby projects culminating in a 20+ year passion for making and creating lovely silk floral arrangements, and other crafts, which she sold at craft shows.
She adored her two grandsons, Charlie and Wilson, attending every school program, athletic event, and field trip.
So grateful to have shared her life are her husband of 35 years, Verne, daughter Cassie Soeffing (Bill), daughter Cindi Psychos (Mary Eagleson) and grandsons, Charlie Soeffing (Katie), great-granddaughter, Tenley, and Wilson Soeffing. Special thanks to dear friends Sue and Dale Amondson and the care she received from the Good Samaritan staff. She was preceded in death by her parents, stepsiblings, and former husband, Bill Psychos.
The family will hold a Celebration of Life in the spring/summer of 2021. Condolences, memories, or photos can be shared with the family at millerfh.com.
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Section Elm Plot # 261
Contributed on 9/26/21 by 9katz
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Record #: 272695