Thelma Pedersen

Thelma "Thel" Pedersen died Sunday, November 4, 2007 in Snowflake, Arizona following a lengthy illness. She was 99. Thel was born on June 18, 1908 in Logan, Utah to the late Hans Andreas and Mary (Jeppesen) Pedersen. While still young, Thel made receiving a good education one of her greatest priorities and received a BS degree from Utah State University in Logan. While studying at Utah State University, she was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega Sorority. Later she received her Masters Degree from Stanford University and took her Physical Therapy training at Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington, D.C. Thel always had a great love for her country and during WWII, she enlisted in The United States Army serving in the Signal Corps., as a Physical Therapist, caring for those troops wounded in battle. Following her honorable discharge from the U.S. Army, Thel began a new chapter in her life going to work in Hawaii and from there, she went on to become Assistant Professor and Assistant Director at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. She also was in Chicago for 1-1/2 years at the University of Illinois doing research in Physical Therapy on a public health grant before going to Mount Sinai Hospital where she served as the Clinical Director of Physical Therapy. Thelma was called by The University of Oklahoma to open the College of Physical Therapy. She worked diligently and faithfully at OU from 1954 to 1976 at the head of the Physical Therapy Department and retired Professor Emeritus. In 1998 The University of Oklahoma chaired her at the age of 90. An accomplishment she truly appreciated the rest of her life. Thelma was also a life long member of The Salvation Army and volunteered countless hours of service. Thel is survived by her nieces: Sydney (Jack) Bartko of Lakeside, Arizona, Rose Mary Budge of San Antonio, Texas, Paula Pedersen of Portland, Oregon and Linda (Paul) Davidson of Salt Lake City, Utah as well as many others who would call her "friend." Graveside services for Thelma were held on Saturday, November 10, 2007 at Larkin Sunset Memorial Gardens in Sandy, Utah. Contributions to The Thelma Pedersen Physical Therapy Fund, payable to the OU Foundation, 100 Timberdell Road, Norman, Oklahoma 73019 have been suggested by her family.