Mary Sommervold, TAR Camp Founder

1935-2008

Mary Sommervold was the driving force behind the South Dakota Teen Age Republicans in its earliest days, and served as the first state TAR advisor. Among her many lasting contributions to the TAR cause was creating, planning, and running the first TAR Camp in the nation, held here in South Dakota. The blue print that she laid out for that first camp is still largely in use today. Teen Age Republicans across the state and nation mourn Mrs. Sommervold's passing, but are grateful for her many contributions to her state, community, and nation.


Mary Sommervold of Sioux Falls, SD

Sioux Falls - Mary Woods Sommervold, 72, born December 13, 1935 in Sioux Falls, SD, passed away peacefully after a courageous battle with lymphoma. Mary attended All Saints School and graduated from Washington High School in 1952 and USD with a B.A. in 1956 and an M.F.A. in 1957. She married Arlo Sommervold in 1955.

Mary taught music at Cleveland, Franklin, Edison, All Saints School and Lincoln High School. Mary hosted the daytime television show Party Line, was a Director of the Dakota Savings and Loan, and the first Executive Director of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra.

Very active in the community, Mary was the first recipient of the Mayor´s Award for the Arts, president of the South Dakota Symphony Guild, president of the South Dakota Symphony Board of Directors, on the National Endowment for the Arts, president of the Board of Trustees of the Washington Pavilion, first woman appointed to the Board of Trustees of Sioux Valley Health System, eventually serving as president, served on the Board of Directors of Minnesota Public Radio, and as president of the South Dakota Board of Education.

Mary was State Chair of Teen Age Republicans, National Chair of Teen Age Republicans and started the Teen Age Republican camps.Mary was the organist for All Saints School, Calvary Cathedral and Good Sheppard Episcopal Church. She was a member of Chapter AQ of PEO Sisterhood, Pi Beta Phi sorority and the Church of St. Mary.

Grateful for having shared her life are her husband, Arlo Sommervold; her four children, Mary Ann Tech (Tim), Colorado Springs, Peter Sommervold (Sue), Sioux Falls, Jon Sommervold (Cate), Sioux Falls, and Sara Friesen (Scott), St. Louis Park, MN; her sister, Deede Meyers (Don), Paradise Valley, AZ; and her 12 grandchildren, Alexander Tech, Mary Elizabeth Sommervold, Madeline Tech, Erik Sommervold, Kathryn Tech, Charles Sommervold, Alison Sommervold, Gunnar Sommervold, Maxwell Sommervold, Joseph Sommervold, Noah Friesen and Lillian Friesen.

Services will be Saturday, November 8, 2008, with the internment at Woodlawn Cemetery at 10:00 a.m. and memorial Mass at the Church of St. Mary, 2109 S. 5th Ave., at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will be held at the church beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The family will greet friends from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m.

The family extends an invitation to join in celebration of a life so well lived in the Great Hall of the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science immediately following the memorial Mass.

The family requests that memorials be sent to the Washington Pavilion of Arts or the South Dakota Symphony.