Grace Thiel

Funeral Service for Grace Thiel, 92, of Wheaton, Minnesota will be held Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at 11:00 A.M. at St. John Lutheran Church in Wheaton, Minnesota with Rev. Charles Horkey officiating. Pallbearers will be All of Graces grandchildren . Organist will be Sara Rinke. Interment will be in Wildwood Cemetery, Wheaton, Minnesota at a later date. Visitation will be Wednesday, one hour prior to service time at the church. Grace was born October 27, 1918 in Wheaton, Minnesota to Lloyd and Elizabeth (Otto) Whaley. She spent her young adult years helping her father and brother farm with horses and attending rural school through eighth grade. Grace married Edwin Smith in Dumont, Minnesota on October 27, 1944. They farmed southwest of Wheaton until Edwins death in 1968. She then moved to Wheaton and worked cleaning houses and businesses. In November 1975, she married Gerald Thiel and they lived at rural Dumont, Minnesota until they retired to Wheaton in 1996. Gerald and Grace wintered in Texas with many Traverse County friends for several years after their retirement. After Geralds death in 2005, Grace resided at Priarie View Place in Wheaton and most recently at the Traverse Care Center. Grace enjoyed dancing, flower and vegetable gardening, and baking. Her caramel rolls, ginger snaps and chocolate chip cookies were family favorites especially among her grandchildren. Over her lifetime, Grace was a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Dumont, Minnesota, Zion Lutheran Church in Parnell Township, and St. John Lutheran Church in Wheaton. She was a devoted Christian woman and was active in church and community activities. Grace passed away on May 8, 2011 at the Traverse Care Center in Wheaton. Grace is survived by Helen Darkow of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Rod and Theresa Thiel and Bob and Gail Thiel all of Dumont, Minnesota, nine grandchildren: Marcie (Tim) Berens, Theodore (Brenda) Darkow, Beth Berens, Curt Thiel, Christa (Mitch) Findlay, Chelsey (Gavin) Young, Jennifer, Nicole, and Jamie Thiel, 4 great grandchildren: Alexis and Samatha Darkow, Matthew and Rachel Berens, two sisters: Irene (Lawrence) Hills of Rush City, Minnesota, Bernice Schooler of Greely, Colorado, one brother: Chester Whaley of Minneapolis, Minnesota and one sister-in-law: Norma Nosek of Wahpeton, North Dakota. Grace was preceded in death by her parents: Lloyd and Elizabeth (Otto) Whaley, husband Edwin Smith, daughter: Mary Smith, second husband: Gerald Thiel, and sister: Charlotte Cuperus.