Howard A. Thiel (1913-2005)
THIEL, PETERSON, SEITZ
Posted By: Ames Tribune
Date: 11/20/2005 at 07:17:34
THE AMES TRIBUNE, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Saturday, November 19, 2005.
Howard Arthur Thiel, 92, of Ames, died Wednesday, Nov. 16, at Northcrest Healthcare Center.
Thiel was born on July 27, 1913, to George and Tressie Thiel on a farm near Alexandria, S.D. He graduated from Alexandria High School in 1932. After graduation he attended Dakota Wesleyan College in Mitchell, S.D., for a year. The next year, he came to Iowa State College. To help with expenses, he formed a dining club to feed students. In 1935, he bought the L-Way Café, which he owned for 42 years. It was renamed the Gallery Restaurant in 1967 after a fire destroyed the original restaurant.
In 1941, he married Josephine Inez Peterson. They were happily married for 64 years.
He entered military service in 1943 and served in Germany and England during Word War II until he was discharged in 1946.
Howard and Jo enjoyed dancing, and they were active with the Red Friars Dance Club for many years. They also danced at Lake Robbins, the Val Air Ballroom in Des Moines and to Lawrence Welk at home on Saturday nights. Howard took up tap dancing when he was in his 70s and enjoyed performing a routine to "Me and My Shadow." He was an avid fan of Iowa State, and he and Jo had season tickets to basketball and football games from 1941 to 2004. He had many friends and enjoyed meeting over coffee both during his years at the restaurant and after retirement. He was a member of Kiwanis, St. Andrews Lutheran Church, the Elks Club and Ames Chamber of Commerce.
He retired in 1977. During his retirement years, Howard was involved with the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) through the Small Business Administration and helped many restaurant owners be successful in starting their businesses. He and Jo enjoyed traveling and spending time with family.
Left to cherish his memory are wife Jo Thiel; son Greg Thiel and wife Susan of Portland, Ore.; daughter Jerilyn Seitz and husband Jim of Raleigh, N.C.; four grandchildren; four great grandchildren; several cousins; and many friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Dale and Maurice and sister Mildred.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20, at the Adams Funeral Home. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 21, at St. Andrews Lutheran Church.
Memorial contributions can be made to St. Andrews Lutheran Church or a charity of your choice.
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