Donna Thiel

Donna Thiel, 88, of Staples passed away on July 13, 2017 at the Lakewood Health System Care Center in Staples with her family by her side.

Funeral services were held July 18 at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Staples, with Pastor Robin Collins presiding. 

Interment was at Moran-Germania Cemetery, rural Staples.

Arrangements were with the Schuller Family Funeral Homes, Wadena.

Donna Adelaide Thiel was born March 13, 1929 to  Joseph and Verna Dubbels in Lincoln. She was raised on the family farm and graduated from Motley High School in 1946. She married Robert Thiel on July 30, 1948. She enjoyed a long career as a teacher in many environments, starting at Lone Birch School in rural Staples at age 18. She later taught in Special Education, Head Start and had a long career as a substitute teacher in the Bertha-Hewitt schools.

She will be remembered as a woman who loved flowers, gardening and was an amazing cook and baker. She had a knack for canning, she was a state fair winner in canning at the age of 11.  Throughout her life she loved to sing and shared her gifts as a choir director. Her soprano voice was well known in the community.

She was a lifelong Lutheran where she was a choir director, Sunday school teacher, Ladies’ Guild, youth group counselor and a founding Board member of Family of Christ Lutheran School in Baxter. 

She is survived by four children, Lynnell Thiel, R. Brad (Susan) Thiel, LeeAnn (Jeffrey) Thimell and Ryan (Carolyn Petrie) Thiel; one brother, Joe Dubbels and 12  grandchildren

She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years; parents; four  siblings and one son, Terrance.

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