Thelma Mercedes Sohm.

Father: Ross Alexander Hartman.

Mother: Zella Marjorie Hickman.

Born in Lincoln Nebraska on February 25th, 1924.

Moved to Exeter California in 1935. Graduated from Exeter High School.

Married Chester Howard Sohm on September 26, 1952.

Son: Keith Donald Sohm.

Daughter: Gail Diann Sohm Kirk.

Grandchildren: Rebeca Kirk Braswell, Forest Kirk, Christopher Kirk, Daniel Kirk, David Kirk, Kevin O'Neal, Kay O'Neal Burris, Tiffany Sohm Lindsay-Borja and 14 Great Grandchildren.

Lifework: housewife, mother, playground supervisor.

Death: July 16, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. in Fresno, California.

Methodist Church, Baptist Church, Auberry Community Church and 7th Day Adventist Church.

Thelma was never one to listen to music on the radio but Chester was taking organ lessons and they would try to play the songs and the people would try to guess the name.  Thelma was the best at naming all the songs. I never could figure out how Mom knew all those names when she didn't like to listen to music on the radio.

A friend asked Thelma the other day to name two things she learned. She said putting things into words is hard and I never thought that I would live this long.

The last few years Thelma would read lots of Christian fiction books. She kept her daughter-inlaw and her daughter busy figuring titles to read.  She also like to listen to right-wing radio. She didn't seem to have strong opinions but she could be extremely stubborn and not very patient at times. Especially when the doctor made her wait for more than 20 minutes. Thelma did teach us a lot about how to cook and maintain a house and gave us a pretty good sense of right and wrong which is more than what most parents accomplish with their kids.

Thelma saw a lot of changes in her lifetime. As a small girl in Lincoln Nebraska, they had no indoor plumbing. They even had a hand pump outside to get water. Thelma's mom sent her to get water one winter and there was white Frost all over the pump. Thelma thought it looked like ice cream and decided to lick the white Frost and her tongue immediately stuck tight. Thelma screamed and her mom knew exactly what had happened, grabbed the warm tea kettle and went outside and unstuck Thelma's tongue. Thelma experienced going through the depression.

Thelma's father got injured in a crane that the wind blew his pants into a pulley which mangled up his knee. He could not work for a few years and they wanted to amputate his leg but he refused. Later in life he walked very well. When Thelma was 11 years old they moved to California from Nebraska. They eventually settled in Exeter California and Thelma went to Exeter High School. She met Marge Kelly there and they have remained friends to this day.