Thunberg, Glenn Raymond 1941 - 2024

THUNBERG, KLUG, MIELKE, JACOBSON, FONTAINE, BURNS, PAQUIN

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 2/2/2024 at 11:17:49

Glenn Raymond Thunberg was called to his heavenly home at age 82. He passed peacefully at his home in Burr Oak on Tuesday, January 30, 2024.

Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, February 3, 2024, at the Burr Oak Lutheran Church, 2358 – 360th Street, Burr Oak, IA, with Rev. David Werges presiding.

Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service at the church Saturday morning.

Memorials may be made out to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, Arbor Day Foundation, or to the family.

A luncheon will be served at the church following the service. A private family inurnment will take place at a later date at Fahlun Lutheran Church which is adjacent to the Thunberg family farm near Nelson, MN.

Glenn was born April 8, 1941, to Raymond and Ruth (Klug) Thunberg of rural Nelson, MN. He attended a one room schoolhouse in his early years and then attended Jefferson High School in Alexandria, MN. He grew up on the family farm near Nelson, MN. After high school he attended the University of Minnesota, St. Paul campus and majored in Mechanized Agriculture. After graduating from college, Glenn worked for Massey Ferguson in Hopkins, MN.

On March 28, 1964, Glenn married his college sweetheart Carol La Vonne Mielke. In 1969 they moved to the Decorah area and settled in Burr Oak where they raised their three kids, Kay, Holly and Brian. Glenn worked for several feed companies over the years (Midland, Land-O-Lakes and K&R Feeds in Dorchester, IA) as a Feed Nutritionist and Service Representative. Upon retiring from sales, he continued to drive school bus for Decorah Community School.

Glenn enjoyed reading western novels, wood working, gardening, and for many years volunteered his time at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, mowing their lawn. His greatest passion was maintaining the family farm property where he grew up. For years, he and Carol spent countless hours planting hundreds of trees and shrubs, mowing many acres of grass, and creating a haven for themselves, their family, and the local wildlife. He loved to fish for the scrappy panfish and enjoyed a freshly caught meal whenever he had the opportunity. A lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan, he never failed to tune into the games. He also had a love of classic Studebaker cars.

Glenn liked to travel and had a great appreciation for nature and beautiful landscapes. One of his favorite places was the Smoky Mountains. In more recent years he enjoyed watching YouTube videos of places that he would never get to travel to. Glenn was a happy-go-lucky guy who would befriend anyone. Always quick with a joke, he liked to make people feel comfortable and appreciated.

His community activities included past secretary of Lutheran Credit Union, board member of Winneshiek Community Economic Development, past President and board member of Burr Oak Lutheran Church, Winneshiek County Extension office, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum. He also served as a board member of Aase Haugen Home in Decorah.

Glenn was preceded in death by his parents Ray and Ruth Thunberg and his sister Karen Jacobson.

He is survived by his wife Carol, sister Joetta (Larry) Fontaine, three children Kay (Dan) Burns, Holly Paquin and Brian (Courtnie) Thunberg, five grandchildren; Cassidy & Carson Burns, Brendan & Sydney Paquin and Jenkins Thunberg, and several nieces and nephews.

Source: Helms Funeral Home database