Martha Darline (Sommervold) Jamtgaard was born August 28, 1917 near Red Elm, South Dakota (Ziebach County) where her parents, John Konrad and Petra (Abraham) Sommervold homesteaded. She passed away February 9, 2012 at Bethesda Home after a short stay and under Hospice care. Her Goddaughter, Darlene Zweifel, was at her side. The Sommervold's lived "out West", as Martha referred to it, until she was seven years old. They moved to the Merrigan place just north of Spink, South Dakota in 1924 so Martha could start school in the fall. She didn't like school very much, but her favorite teacher, Miss Eidem, was an inspiration. Martha enjoyed drawing and writing poems. She entered a contest with a drawing of two ducks and won $1.00 along with a personal congratulation letter from the Superintendent. After 8th grade graduation, Martha was a housekeeper for relatives, neighbors, and friends for mothers of newborns. Martha was baptized and confirmed at Roseni Lutheran Church. She married Marvin LeRoy Jamtgaard on November 2, 1943 at Lands Lutheran Church while on Army leave. After the wedding, they were stationed in Newport News, Virginia and El Paso, Texas before moving to Marvin's Aunt Sophie's farm just north of Nora in 1945. In 1956, Marvin and Martha bought the current farm 3 ½ miles east of Beresford where Martha continued to live until she passed away. She joined Emmanuel Lutheran Church and shared her talents. During her 94 years, she enjoyed teaching Sunday School, Ladies Aid, bible studies, bowling, and always a fan at Marvin's softball and horseshoe games. They were blessed with three daughters, a foster daughter, nine grandchildren and twelve great-grandchilden. Martha worked hard all her life, but found time to enjoy sewing, embroidery, crocheting, making bread, cakes, cookies, canning, and gardening. One of her biggest thrills was sewing gowns and collars for Emmanuel's choir in 1981. She always "had the coffee pot on" for anyone who stopped by for a chat. She collected rocks for years and everywhere she went she managed to add to her collection. Because of her love of rocks, it led her to build a fireplace in their home and a wishing well in the front yard topped with the bell tower from the North Spink schoolhouse she attended as a child. Marvin and Martha planted all the trees but three on their current farm, most of the evergreens were just a sprig when planted, but Martha would carry a 5-gallon pail of water to each one. She loved nature. Her dream to go to Norway came true in 2005. She traveled with her three daughters and 20 other Abraham family members. The trip began in Bergin and continued to Oslo, visiting family farms and attending the Abraham family reunion. Among those who survive and gratefully shared her life are her daughters, Jeanette Silva, Beresford, SD and three sons, Michael (Laurie) and daughter, Maris, Nashville, TN; Nathan (fiancé Kirsten Vascik) Oklahoma, OK; and Richard, Redmond, WA; Janice (Gary) Coleman, Dante, SD and daughter, Heidi(Chris) Howard and sons, Cameron and Caden, Pueblo West, CO; and son, Sean (Christi) and daughter, Eliza, and two sons, Isaiah and Anderson, Breckenridge, MN; Linda (Gary) Cummings, and daughter, Molly, Beresford, SD; Lillian (Dan) Holm, Hermantown, MN and three daughters, Angie Jonas and two sons, Trey and Tanner, Rochester, MN; Suzi (Herbie) Dillon and two daughters, Taylor and Sadie; Sara (Troy) Bolen and two daughters, Shania and Sierra, Hermantown, MN; one brother, Morris Sommervold, Inwood, IA; two brothers-in-law, Bruce Nilson, Fergus Falls, MN and Robert Hammitt, Alcester, SD. Martha is preceded in death by her loving husband, Marvin; parents, John K. and Petra Sommervold; two sisters, Mildred (Clarence) Zweifel and RuAdene (Bruce) Nilson; two sisters-in-law, Helen (Morris) Sommervold and Grace (Robert) Hammitt; and one nephew, Scott Hammitt. Visitation is scheduled at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Beresford, SD on Friday evening, February 17th from 6:00PM to 8:00PM with the family present and a prayer Service at 7:00PM. Funeral services will be held at Emmanuel on Saturday, February 18th at 2:00PM. Memorials can be given in Martha's honor by planting a flower, bush, or tree for yourself or others.