Thies, Eula Bessie (Roffman) Nagel 1914 - 2017

THIES, ROFFMAN, FISH, NAGEL, BROSZEIT, DUVEL, DINGER, IHDE, EWING, SMITH

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 2/24/2017 at 12:01:57

Eula B. Thies, 102, of Waukon, IA, died Friday, February 17, 2017, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, February 21st, at 11:00 AM at First Presbyterian Church in Waukon with Pastor Grant VanderVelden officiating. Burial will be at Phelps Cemetery, Decorah, IA. Friends may call from 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM Monday at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon.

Eula Bessie Nagel Thies was born December 28, 1914, in rural Luana, IA, the daughter of William and Nellie (Fish) Roffman. She attended country schools and on December 6, 1930, Eula married Ralph Nagel. The couple lived on Ralph’s parents’ farm near Luana. Eula was a hard-working woman, never one to sit around. Besides helping care for Ralph’s 12 siblings and raising her two children, Eula milked cows, fed pigs, cooked, and helped with all other aspects of farm life. She and Ralph then rented a farm in the rural Postville/Waukon, IA area before settling on a farm near Decorah, IA. In 1967, Ralph passed away and Eula moved into Decorah, working at Ronnie’s Café, cleaning doctors’ offices, and washing out milk testing bottles. She met Howard Thies and on January 29, 1972, they married at First Presbyterian Church in Waukon; Eula moved to Waukon to live with Howard. She worked in the kitchen at Waukon High School until she retired at the age 70.

A member of First Presbyterian Church, Eula belonged to the ladies aide circle. She loved gardening and was always planning her next garden, constantly growing something new she received from the seed catalogs such as a banana plant or a combination tomato/potato plant. Along with irises and hens and chicks, Eula also grew vegetables. She did some canning and liked to bake, particularly “tassies” or little pecan pies. Fishing was a family event with Ralph and the kids and grandkids; she would pack up a picnic and they’d venture to the Upper Iowa River for a day. With Howard, she enjoyed taking car rides on Sunday afternoons and traveled to California, the Dakotas, and Red Wing, MN to visit his family. Eula also liked putting together jigsaw puzzles and crocheting doll clothes and afghans.

Eula is survived by her son Leo Nagel of Decorah; son-in-law Fred Broszeit of Frankville, IA; a special friend Ray Hildebrand of Waukon; six grandchildren: Elaine Broszeit, Loren Broszeit, Joann (James) Duvel, Linda (Brian) Dinger, Tammy (Kevin) Ihde, and Randy (Shannon) Nagel; 11 great-grandchildren; 11 ½ great-great-grandchildren; stepson Allan (Jan) Thies of Red Wing, MN; two stepgrandchildren; and many step great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands Ralph Nagel in 1967 and Howard Thies in 1999; daughter Dorothy Broszeit; daughter-in-law Donna Nagel; two brothers: Leonard (Kate) Roffman and Glenn “Pops” (Fern) Roffman; and three sisters: Florence (Charles) Ewing, Marie (Carl) Smith, and infant Viola Roffman.

Honorary casketbearers are Eula’s great-granddaughters and great-great-grandchildren. Casketbearers are Darcy Broszeit, Quentin and Zachary Holkesvik, Jimmy Broszeit, Zebulen Holkesvik, and Kyle and Josh Ihde.

Source: Martin Funeral Home database

Phelps Cemetery
 

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