After a lifetime of hard work supporting her family and giving love to family and friends, Mrs. Thelma Buck was called home by the Lord Feb. 13, 2005, at her home in Oak Harbor. She was born July 9, 1911, in Wichita, Kan., to Lloyd Carmichael and Myrtle Hubbard Carmichael.

Thelma spent her early childhood in Wichita and Liberty, Canada. She was active in the Methodist Church youth group, where she met Glenn A. Buck. They were married July 31, 1930, in Newton, Kan. In 1936 the family moved to Los Angeles, Calif.

In 1946 they moved to Las Vegas where they opened the Village Clay Shop in the Last Frontier Village on the Las Vegas Strip, one of only three hotels on the strip at the time. Busy making their own ceramics, doing china painting and giving lessons, she met many celebrities and local legends. Her joy was their cabin in Mt. Charleston and entertaining their grandchildren, family and friends.

During her working career Thelma worked for American Linen Supply as a comptometer operator, something that is unheard of today. The comptometer, invented in the late 1800’s and refined over the years, was the precursor to the computers of today. It was claimed to be able to perform “high-speed” addition and “all arithmetical problems.” People had to go to school to be trained how to use this marvelous invention and Thelma was one who mastered it. When Thelma lost her beloved husband Glenn in 1975 she traveled and spent time between family in California, Arizona and Nevada. She moved to Phoenix, Ariz. in 1987 to be near her daughter and beloved grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Thelma was a member of Trinity Methodist Church in Las Vegas, she was a member of the Methodist “Crafty Chics” and a long-standing member of the Eastern Star.

Thelma is survived by her daughter Kay Thacker and her husband Glen of Oak Harbor. She is also survived by four grand children: Debra McPherson and husband Mark of Tucson, Ariz., Rebecca Leimkuehler and her husband Barry of Tolleson, Ariz., Michael Toepke and his wife Alexandra of North Bend, Wash., Karl Toepke with his wife Carolyn of Peoria, Ariz., and one sister, Marie Farber of Torrance, Calif.

She is also survived by eight great grand children: Laurie Giaccone, Bonnie and David Capen, Jennifer Coulson, Sarah Arreola, Joshua Leimkuehler, Indra and Savannah Toepke. She also leaves one great great grandson Jerold Arreola and many nieces, nephews and cousins, along with Kim and Shelby Welch who adopted themselves as her local granddaughter and great granddaughter. Her husband of 45 years, Glen Buck and brother, Leslie Carroll Carmichael, preceded her in death.

Arrangements were entrusted to Burley Funeral Chapel of Oak Harbor.