Josephine I. “Jo” (Peterson) Thiel (1914-2015)

THIEL, PETERSON, SEITZ, COVERDALE, BREKKE

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 11/26/2015 at 18:43:36

Obituary From Adams Soderstrum Funeral Home, Story County, Iowa.

Obituary for Josephine I. Thiel

Josephine “Jo” Peterson Thiel was born on November 19, 1914 to Bernard and Hannah Peterson in Sioux Rapids, Iowa. She attended Greenville Consolidated School and graduated from high school in 1932 where she was salutatorian of her class of six. With no money for college during the Depression, she learned secretarial skills through a correspondence course.

She attended Iowa State Collage and worked for the State Extension office for two years. Friends introduced her to Howard Thiel at the L-Way Café and they were married in 1941. They were married for 64 years until Howard’s death in 2005. They raised two children and had 4 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. Jo was a homemaker, and also was the noon cashier at the restaurant, room mother for her kids’ classes at school, Cub Scout and Camp Fire Girls leader, Sunday school teacher and a volunteer for many activities. While Howard served in the Army during World War II, she worked as a secretary at the Glen L. Martin Bomber Plant in Omaha, Nebraska.

Jo was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority in college and was active in Panhellenic activities as an alumna. She was a member of PEO chapter AA and the Ames Woman’s Club. Jo and Howard loved to ballroom dance at Red Friar’s Dance Club and the Lake Robbins ballroom. They were members of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church where Jo sang in the choir for many years. She loved to dance, play bridge, travel and spend time with family. Avid fans of Iowa State, they had season tickets for football and basketball for over 60 years.

Jo is survived by her children, Greg Thiel and wife Susan of Portland, Oregon and Jerilyn Seitz and husband Jim of Raleigh, North Carolina, four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, her sister, MarJean Hardy, and two nephews and two nieces.

She was predeceased by her husband, Howard Thiel, her sister, Katherine Coverdale, foster brother Raymond Brekke and her parents.

The family would like to thank the staff at the Northcrest Health Care Center for ten years of loving care given to Jo since her stroke at age 89.

Memorial contributions can be made to Northcrest Foundation, 1801 20th Street, Ames, 50010 or the Ames Historical Society P.O. Box 821, Ames, 50010.

Funeral Service
NOV 13. 01:00 PM
St. Andrew's Lutheran Church
209 Colorado Ave.
Ames, IA, US, 50014

http://www.adamssoderstrum.com/
 

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