Donald Frederick THELKE

THELKE, KNIEWASSER, SMALLEY, SCHMITT, VANDERWATER, WELSH, LARSEN, GLASCO

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 10/27/2007 at 16:42:43

August 4, 1931-September 22, 2007

IOWA FALLS—Donald Thelke, 76, of Iowa Falls, and formerly of Alden, passed away on Saturday, September 22, 2007, at the Ellsworth Municipal Hospital, Iowa Falls, following a brief illness. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, September 25, at the Immanuel Lutheran Church, Iowa Falls, with Pastor Kenneth Krueger officiating. Burial followed in the Alden Cemetery, Alden. The Linn’s Funeral Homes Iowa Falls Chapel was in charge of the arrangements.

Donald Frederick Thelke, was born on August 4, 1931, in the Lutheran Hospital, Hampton, the son of Herman and Margaret (Kniewasser) Thelke. He was baptized at birth and later confirmed at the Vernon Lutheran Church, Dows. He grew up in rural Blairsburg, where he graduated from the Blairsburg High School with the class of 1949. On April 22, 1951, he was united in marriage to Audrey Ann Smalley at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Webster City. Together they farmed north of Alden until his retirement in 1995. Don enjoyed camping and fishing during the summer and spending his winters in Florida. He also enjoyed going to his great-grandson, Jayden’s baseball and basketball games. Family was very important to him and he was always there for them.

He will be missed by his wife, Audrey of Iowa Falls; and three children, Steve (Carol) Thelke of Alden, Gary Thelke of Jacksonville, Florida and Cathy (Roger) Schmitt of Parkersburg; five grandchildren, Corey (Darla) Thelke of Grimes, Scott Thelke of Alden, Jessica (Lee) Vanderwater of Winterset, Wade (Stephanie) Welsh currently deployed with the U.S. Army in Baghdad, Iraq and Matthew (Tiffany) Welsh of Junction City, Kansas; and two great-grandchildren, Jayden Thelke of Iowa Falls and Grant Vanderwater of Winterset. Also surviving are his siblings, Erma (Wendell) Larsen of Fort Dodge and twin brother, Robert (Janice) Thelke of Blairsburg; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Margaret Thelke of Fort Dodge; and sister and brother-in-law, Nelda and Ivan Glasco of Fort Dodge.

September 26, 2007
© Iowa Falls Times Citizen 2007