Our Bonny Jean is gone. Her last 40 years were spent in the carefully designed interior of her home on Rapid Creek near Johnson Siding in the Black Hills. Jean began her journey in Niagara Falls, New York in August of 1918 during the final months of World War I. Her musical mother, Florence Gunderson Soutar, was the daughter of Governor Carl Gunderson and poet Gertrude Bertelsen Gunderson from Vermillion. Jean's great-grandmother Isabel Gunderson (Mrs. Hans Gunderson) was the sister of South Dakota Governor Andrew Lee. Her father, piper and Army Captain Frank James Soutar, USD valedictorian of the Class of 1910, was the son of James and Eva Soutar of Spearfish, SD. He was an engineer with the Niagara Falls Power Station at the time of her birth. Later the family moved to Sioux Falls with father Frank joining Northern States Power. Jean grew up with her sisters and brother, Pat, Peggy and Jim. The family moved from Sioux Falls to the Black Hills in the late 20s or early 30s, where her father Frank was commander of CCC Camp Lodge, now the Black Hills Playhouse, and lieutenant commander of Camp Custer. Jean's mother had a trained voice and was her early voice teacher. They sang duets and solos for many women's gatherings. Following graduation in 1935 from Custer High School, Jean went to Louisiana State University where she studied voice with Metropolitan Opera Star Pasquale Amato. The family moved to Rapid City prior to the war where Jean acted and sang in a number of local stage productions. She was the lead in "Roberta" and had a large role in "Aaron Slick from Pumpkin Crick." It was during one of these productions where she met her future husband, the late Dr. Ralph E. Wick, OD, FAAO. Jean and Ralph married in November of 1940. At the beginning of their second year of marriage the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. Husband Ralph tried to enlist in the service but was turned down because his eyesight was so bad though he made a fair attempt to get past the doctors with an early type of contact lens. No such luck. Ralph was determined to help the war effort so the couple moved to New York City where Ralph joined Norden bomb-sight subcontractor, Bell and Howell, as an optical inspector. Jean worked for the New York Public Library earning $25.00 a week, which she spent on singing lessons with the world famous soprano and opera star Madame Queena Mario. At the end of the war Ralph and Jean returned to South Dakota buying a home on Quincy Street. To continue her interest in singing, Jean joined the First Congregational Church Choir for which she sang in excess of 20 years. In 1947 the couple were joined by their first son, Bruce. Their second son, Barry, was born in 1951. Jean was very involved in civic projects including The March of Dimes which provided support to finding the cure for polio because her brother, Jim, succumbed to the disease. Finding that a growing family would need more space and with Ralph's success as an optometric professional in Rapid City, the couple planned a custom, redwood-sided home with Architect Gail Goodwin that was built just on the west side of Hangman's Hill. She added many special touches including a checkerboard wall she took to two other homes over the years. Active in politics, Jean became friends with and campaigned for World War II flying ace Joe Foss in his run for the gubernatorial seat in South Dakota. She declined an offer to sit on the state hospital board, but did sing an opening solo for the night's entertainment at Governor Foss' Inaugural Ball in 1954. Jean was a Cub Scout Leader for many years. Jean's interest in style helped her as she created many local, live television broadcasts for Eiler's Furs, the New York Store and Barrons in the late 50s and early 60s. Her live show on KOTA Television was called "Fashion O'clock" and featured local women modeling the latest fashions to arrive in Rapid City. The picture of Jean was taken by KOTA Technician Chuck Delperdang. Jean later worked for KOTA as a copy writer. It was more than once when a male announcer came to Jean and said he couldn't say the words she wrote for a radio commercial because they were too "flowery." Jean later worked as manager for clothing boutique "Next Door 2" in Rapid City. Not only did Jean enjoy fashionable clothes and shoes, but she was a very capable seamstress in her own right. In the 1960s she won "best in show" at a style show for homemade outfits sponsored by The March of Dimes. She crafted a beautiful pink suit with a gusseted coat edged with pink mink. She wore dyed pink shoes and stockings to match. She and the suit were winners. Even though she purchased many clothes at famous stores, she often took out the labels and put them on her own extraordinarily crafted clothing. While our Nana Jean couldn't be called shy, she often shied away from "tooting her own horn." This was one example. But people were always attracted to Jean. Mr. Earl Buckingham, head of the National College of Business, reached out to her to teach a course in "charm" to give women confidence and a sense of business dress and proper attitude in the changing workplace of the 1960s. If you ever did anything for Jean, you noticed how polite she was. "Thank you" were two words she sometimes overused with people who were surprised and grateful for the recognition and appreciation. Comments to family coming to visit at the nursing home before she passed were often remarks about her appreciation of their service to her. As the years went by, Jean and Ralph grew apart separating in 1970. Both met others. Jean met George Archer "Archie" Bangs. They were married for 13 years until 1986. Jean and Archie acted in a local production of "The Crucible." Then Jean spent most of her last years partly on the board of the Boy's Club, watching over grandchildren, and being an interior decorator until finally she needed full time care for the last nearly 11 years of her life. She lived to the age of 95 despite going through some very serious health problems throughout her life which included thyroid cancer in the 1960s...a surgery that took her singing voice. Even though she lost her singing voice, she always told people about and shared her interest in classical music. She supported local arts and classical music over the years. Jean is survived by her sister Patricia Scheibe of Longmont, CO, by Dr. Bruce C. Wick, OD, PhD, F.A.A.O. and Susan Stubinski of Houston, Texas, Barry G. Wick of Black Hawk, SD; , Shanti Ella Wick and great-grandson Zander Schiro of Tucson, AZ, Mark and Shandra Wick Mortensen and their sons Chase and Grady of Lees Summit, MO, Damien and Alesha Wick and their children Makenna and Ethan, Dr. Brett D. Wick, PHD and Amanda Wick of Atlanta, GA, Bryce and Lacee Wick and their daughters, Zoe and Eva of Rapid City, nieces Heidi Behrens-Benedict and Jeanne Omdahl of Washington State, nephew Army Colonel (retired) Jon Behrens of Longmont, CO, neice Ann Soutar of Wyoming and Scott Soutar of Texas, and her dearest friends Ann Walther, Evelyn Heidepriem, Bill and Heather Mohr and Patrick Simmons of Rapid City, South Dakota. Her neighbors for 40 years on Creekview Road near Johnson Siding are especially remembered for many kindnesses. Jean was preceded in death by her parents and grandparents, brother James Alistair Soutar and sister Margaret H. "Peggy" Behrens. As a remembrance for Jean, the family asks donations to the Black Hills Community Theater in her name. There will be no funeral at her request. Her cremains with be interred next to her mother's in Pine Lawn Memorial Park on Skyline Drive. The family thanks the staff at Golden Living Center Meadowbrook, Hospice of the Black Hills for exceptional care near the end of her life, Dr. Douglas Traub, MD for years of professional care as well as hospitalists and nurses at Rapid City Regional Hospital, and physicians, nurses, nurses' aides, kitchen and dining room staff associated with GLC Meadowbrook. "Thank you." Jean wouldn't want this writer to forget to repeat those words for her