O.S. Sid Soma, 94, Bismarck, died Aug. 18, 2015, at the Baptist Health Care Center, Bismarck. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, at McCabe United Methodist Church, Bismarck, with the Rev. Jenny Hallenbeck officiating. Burial will be at Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis, S.D.

Sid was born on a hot July 14th day, 1921, in the Homestake Hospital at Deadwood, S.D., to Opal Sooter Soma and O.J. Soma of Newell, S.D. He grew up on the family farm, attended Horse Creek Country School and graduated in 1939 from Newell High School. Sid received a scholarship and attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D., where he played football, before enlisting in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He served 3 ½ years aboard the light cruiser USS Brooklyn, earning the rank of EMC first class.

Sid returned to South Dakota following his honorable discharge and entered the field of rural electrification. He married Helen Gyopyos of Elmira, N.Y., nearly 72 years ago. Helen and Sid were blessed with two children, David and Crystal. He became general manager of West River Electric in 1948, in Wall, S.D. He also served in the dual role as general manager of Golden West Telephone from 1954 until 1964. While in Wall, Sid served on the Wall School Board, served two terms as mayor of Wall, sat on the board of directors of the Black Hills, Badlands and Lakes Association, chairman of the Pennington County Red Cross, and a lay member of the Governor's Council on Highway Safety.

In 1964, Sid and his family moved to Bismarck to accept the position as general manager of Capital Electric Cooperative, which he held until his retirement in 1983. Sid kept busy serving on numerous boards: Missouri Slope Lutheran Home, St. Alexius Lay Advisory Board, Burleigh County Red Cross, Salvation Army, North Dakota Power Use Council, ND REC Manager's Association, and as chairman of the board of trustees at McCabe United Methodist Church. Sid is a lifetime member of the Bismarck Elks, American Legion and Kiwanis Club.

After retirement, Sid and Helen enjoyed antiques -- doing antique shows all over the country-- traveling during the winters to Texas, Arizona, Nevada and California, and spending time at their summer home at Hisega in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where Sid loved to fish. He was an avid gardener and would proudly show off his dinner plate Dahlias to everyone. He loved to refinish antique furniture and tinker with "stuff" as he would call it. One of the highlights in his later years was for he and Helen to be included in the first North Dakota Roughrider Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. in May 2009, honoring World War II veterans.

He is survived by his wife, Helen; his son, David; his daughter, Crystal; two grandchildren, Travis (Danielle) Smith, Bismarck, and Jennifer (Jeremy) Meissner, Denver; six great-grandchildren, Hunter, Madelyn, Zander, Brandon, Alec and Harper; his nephews, Gerald (Mary Ellen) Soma, California, and Jon Soma, Maryland; his niece, Patricia (Al) Wilcove, Florida; and numerous cousins, great-nephews and great-nieces.

Sid was preceded in death by his parents, Opal and O.J. Soma; his brothers, Don (Lilly) and Norris (Mae and Ruth) Soma; one niece, Cheryl Soma; his son-in-law, Howard Taylor; his grandparents; and numerous cousins.