Jerome Lawrence Thelen, 81, Mitchell, died Sunday, Jan. 4, 2009, at Avera Queen of Peace Hospital, Mitchell.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Mitchell. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Mitchell. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Bittner Funeral Chapel, Mitchell, with a 7 p.m. Scripture service.
He was born on May 1, 1927, at Parkston to Edward and Anna (Germscheid) Thelen.
He grew up and attended schools in Parkston.
He served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Japan.
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On Jan. 7, 1964, he married Colleen Ekle in Sioux Falls.
They farmed in the Alexandria area.
He continued to farm until retiring in 1998 and moving to Mitchell.
He was a member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church.
He is survived by his wife, five children: Dennis and wife Debra, Alexandria; Diane Weitzman and husband Marcel, Mitchell; Karen and Kimberly Thelen; and Sondra Knudson and husband Philip, all of Sioux Falls; five grandchildren, a brother, Virgil, Mitchell; two sisters: Berniece Wedmore, Belle Plaine, Iowa; and Marion Hartman, Sioux Falls; a sister-in-law, Shirley Thelen, Mitchell; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Hilda Schoenfelder; a brother, Victor; three brothers-in-law: Sylvester Schoenfelder, Gideon Hartman and Dick Wedmore; and a sister-in-law, Viola Thelen.
