Pictured: Barbara (Thune) Schommer ‘69 and Frances (Thoreson) Sittig ‘69
When alumna Barbara (Thune) Schommer ‘69 was diagnosed with T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia, her fellow Augustana classmates didn’t think twice about rallying around her. Frances (Thoreson) Sittig ‘69 and Swanna (Osteroos) Champlin ‘69 — who had never even met — came together to be by their friend’s side.
“What an honor and a privilege for Swanna and me to be with her. It took some time and energy, but we were both blessed by it,” said Sittig.
Schommer and Sittig were both in the nursing program and roomed together their first two years at Augustana. After Sittig got married in their third year, Schommer and Champlin became close friends and roommates.
“We had great times when we were at Augustana. Our nursing program was very focused, and we ended up with just a small number of us who graduated,” Sittig said. “We stayed on campus all four years, and we were the first nursing class to graduate doing all our clinical lab work in Sioux falls — that was our claim to fame.”
After graduating from Augustana, they went their separate ways. Schommer stayed in Sioux Falls, where she worked for the Visiting Nurse Association. Sittig moved to Enid, Oklahoma, with her husband and Champlin worked at a home for young women in California. Though miles apart, both Sittig and Champlin kept in touch with Schommer for more than five decades.
Then, in March 2023, Schommer received her diagnosis.
Champlin, who lived nearly 900 miles away, came to stay with her through her first round of treatment. Soon after, doctors determined that a stem cell transplant was necessary to treat the disease.
When Schommer was accepted at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Sittig quickly stepped in to help. At the Gift of Life Transplant House, Schommer needed a caregiver at all times. Sittig volunteered, rotating caregiving duties with Champlin.
“She needed a support system. We all need a support system to keep going when we’re in a stressful environment like she was,” Sittig said.
Schommer, a dedicated nurse and public health advocate from Mitchell, South Dakota, spent many years caring for patients and teaching others in the field. She was active in the Student Nursing Association of South Dakota during college and remained committed to volunteer work after her retirement, including providing healing touch therapy at a local hospice facility.
Beyond her work in health care, Schommer was known for her adventurous spirit and close friendships. She met her husband, Tom, through a skydiving club in Sioux Falls. Together, they fostered and later adopted their daughter from Vietnam. Schommer’s love for adventure also included flying. She held a private pilot’s license and hot air balloon pilot license.
“She never hurried when she was with you — she was present. She had a remarkably calm way about her and was much loved by her family and friends,” said Sittig.
“She was a good friend for years,” added Champlin. “We didn’t always see each other a lot, but when we did get together, it was easy to renew our friendship. She was both well-rounded in her skills and well-loved by everyone.”
Schommer passed away in March 2024, but her illness brought many people together, creating bonds that will last a lifetime.
Now, Sittig and Champlin get together annually, along with a few of Schommer’s loved ones, to remember their friend.
“Through Barb’s death, I have gained new friends, and we bonded over supporting her through her last year of life,” said Sittig. “A friend to share and celebrate the good times and to mourn and cry through the challenges is invaluable to me in moving forward in life — that’s what Barb was.”
Friendships that began at Augustana formed bonds that last a lifetime.
