THORSTEN, John Joseph --- 1925-2011

WEBER, THORSTEN, LEVENDOSKI, FERRING, HAWES, LUTH, MICKELSON, BIRNER, STRIN, MOFFAT

Posted By: IA GenWeb Volunteer
Date: 8/10/2011 at 19:39:52

John Thorsten

John Joseph Thorsten passed away Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at Thornton Manor in Lansing. Mass Of Christian Burial was held Monday, June 6 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lansing. The Rev. Daniel Knipper officiated and Monsignor Ed Lechtenberg Concelebrated the Mass. Interment was at Gethsemane Cemetery in Lansing.
John was born February 15, 1925 at Mays Prairie, Lansing to James W. Thorsten and Helena Mary Weber Thorsten. John was the oldest of five children, Mary Levendoski (deceased), Margaret Ferring, James (deceased) and Elizabeth Hawes. Growing up he went to a country school one year before finishing his high school education at Immaculate Conception School in Lansing, graduating with the Class of 1943. Children were boarded at the school until they were old enough to drive (15) to school and back.
John worked on his parents’ family farm until he bought his first truck, an International straight 1.5 - 2-ton truck. This was the start of John’s trucking life for many years to come. He used his first truck to haul hogs and cattle to the local sale barn for slaughter. Starting in 1948-49, he hauled fish for Erlick C. Market from Lansing to Chicago, Kansas City, and St. Louis. He would drive out on the Great Lakes to pick up fish and delivered the load to Lansing or Chicago. He would haul ice from the Mississippi River to the fish houses in Lansing, driving his truck out on the river to where the crew was cutting.
He met his future wife, Elinor Eleanor Luth, at his sister Margaret’s home the spring of 1949. They were married June 3, 1950.
He sold the truck and went to work for Fruechte Livestock and other companies hauling livestock. When not busy in the trucking business, he would help his parents on the farm. His parents bought the home place in 1949 just east of Churchtown while John and Elinor rented the Becker farm for one year before purchasing their own farm from Harry Dee. The 80-acre farm was over the hill to the north of his parents’ place, which allowed for cooperative work between the two families. The farm supported 18 milk cows, and pigs were raised to market weight.
To support his family, John took a job with Rogness Saw Mill, which was later sold to Webster Lumber Co., Bangor, WI. John would rise early, making his first run before 6 a.m. hauling rough-cut lumber and green-cut railroad ties from local saw mills in Iowa to the mill in Bangor. He worked for the company 17 years before retiring in 1975 from trucking. He had many fond memories of trips to Washington State picking up a new truck or transporting hardwood out and bringing back building lumber. On occasion he would haul loads of finished hardwood into Canada.
Spring of 1970 John and Elinor purchased the home place with 318 acres. When they bought the family farm, they purchased 30 head of Black Angus cows from Elinor’s brother. John loved his hogs. The operation had 10-12 sows having two litters a year and most all of the feed for the animals was produced on the farm, very little was ever purchased. He would market 200-300 hogs a year.
In 1991 they retired from farming when their youngest son, James (Jim), purchased the farm. They bought their last home, a small acreage, in Churchtown from Vernon Haas. John continued to help Jim farm just as his dad helped him after retiring from the farm. He also helped a local farmer for the next several years during the summer cropping season. He enjoyed cutting firewood and using his favorite and oldest owned tractor, the Farmall Super M, for projects around the farm.
John’s hobbies included keeping everything in good working order from fences to machinery, he was an avid reader of all subjects, he was a life time member of the Knights of Columbus and the Foresters, and he served on the Eastern Allamakee School Board as committee member for eight years and the Lansing Rural Fire Department for 40-plus years. John and Elinor traveled extensively visiting family and friends in the lower 48 states and Canada. They never missed their children’s or grandchildren’s weddings, graduations, or births and attended their many adopted family members’ events as well.
There were many family pets over the years that John had a soft spot in his heart for. One very special one was his dog, Shy, who came home with them in 1985 from Washington State and remained his faithful companion for about 15 years. Where John went Shy went. In 2009, John and Elinor adopted another Shy who has been by their side giving them much joy these past few years.

John and Elinor had seven children, Steven (Carolyn), Patricia (Richard)Thorsten-Mickelson, Richard (Juliette), Julie (Michael) Birner, James (Teresa), Susan (Greg) Strin, and Tanya (Dan) Moffat. One granddaughter, Courtney Birner, preceded him in death in February 2011. Surviving are 18 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. They would have celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary June 3, 2011.

The Waukon Standard, June 9, 2011

Allamakee Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
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