Linda Dillavou
Linda Dillavou, 87, of Aberdeen, SD, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at Avera Mother Joseph Manor, Aberdeen.
Linda Marie Dewhirst was born December 8, 1937, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen, SD, to Neil and Marie (Van Osdol) Dewhirst. Linda grew up in Aberdeen, where she attended public schools. When she was about 12 years of age, she got matched up with a pen pal (Dagrunn) in Norway. They kept in contact until Linda’s passing. School activities included student council, band, choir, basketball, school plays, and emcee for various programs. Her hobbies included sewing, singing, and 4-H. In high school, her activities included pep club, cheerleading, officer in the Girls Athletic Association, and A-Capella. She graduated from Aberdeen Central High School in 1955. Linda attended USD, where she received an Associate of Arts degree in Secretarial in 1958. While attending USD, she was a member of the Young Republicans, Pi Beta Phi sorority, lead singer in Strollers, and a candidate for Miss University. College summers were spent at Sylvan Lake resort as a waitress and hostess.
After marrying D.O. Dillavou in 1958, they made their home in Deadwood. They adopted two children, Angela in 1964 and Jess in 1967. While in Deadwood she worked part-time for her husband’s law office and for the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce. She served as president of Chapter Y, PEO, as well as president of the Twin Cities Bowling League, Tomahawk Ladies Golf Club and Dirigo Club. She also served as Third Ward committeewoman, Jaycettes officer, church youth director, and a Days of ’76 committee member.
She was widowed in 1968 and returned to Aberdeen to raise her children. She worked as the Noonday Show hostess for KCOO-TV, giving news and weather reports along with doing interviews. Later, she returned to college and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Office Administration in 1979. She was also a candidate for Gypsy Day Queen in 1979, sponsored by the Non-Traditional Student Association. She then received a Master of Science degree in Guidance and Counseling in 1982. She was also a member of the 1982 edition of WHO’S WHO AMONG STUDENTS IN AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES. She worked as an Admissions Counselor and later the Director of Admissions at Northern State College from 1979 to 1984. While at Northern, she served as vice president of Phi Delta Kappa. She was also an advisor to Student Ambassadors, orientation staff, and the cheerleaders. She would then become the director of the Foster Grandparent Program for Brown and Spink Counties, where she worked until she retired.
Since returning to Aberdeen, her activities included director of Epoch’s Job Daughters, Cub Scout den mother, president of Chapter BX, PEO, St Mark’s Episcopal Church Vestry, Secretary of the Short-Term Intervention Center/New Beginnings, county division chairman of United Way, Brown County Health Board, Brown County Council on Aging, chairman of Santa Land for Zonta and the task force for a four-year high school. She is also a charter member of the Sons of Norway. In 1993, she received the Sertoma Service to Mankind award.
Always an entertainer, she enjoyed singing at the Elks Club and various banquets. She performed in Cardiac Capers, Capital Cabaret, Heart Felt Follies, and Festival of Trees.
From the time she was born, she enjoyed spending her summers at Pickerel Lake. Her love for the lake grew over two more generations, where kids and grandkids learned to swim, fish, ski, and enjoy crackling bonfires. She gave all her love all the time and made us laugh with her funny poems and Christmas letters. She was mom, dad, wallpaper hanger, plumber, painter, singer, writer, chauffer…she did it all except ski.
As someone said the other day, the world is dimmer in this corner of the world, but the night sky is, indeed, brighter.
Grateful for having shared Linda’s life are her daughter Angela (Chris) Thompson of Paducah, KY; son Jess (Kimberly) Dillavou of Aberdeen, SD; grandchildren Spencer (Michelle) Sorensen, Amy (Brannon) Dowdy, Dawson Dillavou, Bailey (Seth) Black, Brandon Dillavou, and Crystal Thompson; and great-grandchildren Landon, Ayden, Braegan, Emma, Braelei, Harper, Braelyn, Lainey and Walker.
She was preceded in death by her husband, D.O., her parents, Neil and Marie, her sister, Nancy Thielen, and her brother, Neil Dewhirst II.