Doris Stoops died Sunday morning, February 28, 2010, at Bethany Lutheran Home, surrounded by her family.

Doris Adeline Schurman was born on a farm near Garretson, SD on November 12, 1927 to Claus and Bessie (Erickson) Schurman. The youngest of three children, Doris lived on the farm until her father’s death when she was six years old. A hail storm just weeks later wiped out their crops, causing Doris and her mother to move first into Garretson and then to Sioux Falls when Doris was in second grade.

While at Beadle Elementary School, she met a classmate, Galen Stoops who decided then that he would marry her someday. Doris graduated from Washington High School in 1945. She worked briefly at Arkota Ballroom, a bank and the phone company, but gave up her career to marry her childhood sweetheart, Galen, on September 27, 1948, two years after he returned from his Navy service in WWII. Together, they spent the 62 years of their married life in Sioux Falls, raising two children, Linda and Rick, and later enjoying their grandson, Matt.

Doris suffered strokes in 2005 which eventually led to her final three years being spent at Bethany Lutheran Home.

Doris was preceded in death by her parents, Claus and Bessie Schurman; sister, Dorothy Hellwig; and brother, Ed Schurman.

Grateful for having shared her life are her husband, Galen Stoops, her children, Linda and Rick (Marla), her grandson, Matthew and the many people whose lives she touched.

Funeral service will begin at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, March 3, 2010, at Community Reformed Church (6800 E. 41st St.) with burial to follow at Hills of Rest Memorial Park. Visitation will begin at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, March 2nd at George Boom Funeral Home in Sioux Falls with the family present to greet friends from 6:30 to 8:30