Donna Thiele

Donna Thiele, 90, of Great Bend, ND passed away on Wednesday, May 16, 2018 at CHI St. Francis Medical Center, Breckenridge, MN.  Visitation will be Friday, May 18, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm with a prayer service at 7:00 pm, at Vertin-Munson Funeral Home, Wahpeton.  The funeral service will be Saturday, May 19 at 10:30 am at Trinity Lutheran Church in Great Bend, with visitation one hour prior to service. Arrangements are entrusted to Vertin-Munson Funeral Home.

Donna Mae Gast was born on April 15, 1928 in Wahpeton, ND to George and Christine (Daman) Gast.  She grew up near Tyler, ND and attended school in Summit Township.

Donna was united in marriage to Everett “Bud” Thiele on November 12, 1946 at St. John’s Lutheran Church near Tyler.  The two made their home in Fairmount, ND and Great Bend where they raised their children. She was a homemaker, caring for her children while they were young, and later worked as a custodian and cook for the Great Bend School for many years.

Donna was an amazing gardener; she could make anything grow.  She always had her brown cookie jar full of chocolate chip cookies. She was a great cook; she would make her special fried chicken dinner every Sunday for her family.  Donna and Bud enjoyed fishing at Ottertail Lake in their boat “poodle.”

Donna is survived by her three sons, Larry (Sandy) Thiele, Wahpeton, Bruce (Merna) Thiele, Wahpeton, and Randy (Elizabeth) Thiele, Great Bend, ND; nine grandchildren, Carrie (Ty) Hanson, Chad Thiele, Carla Thiele, Jenny (Joe) Bachman, Troy (Brandie) Thiele, Stephanie (Dane) Holweger, Nicholas Thiele, Kayla (Kyle) Wetzel, and Trevor (Katelyn) Thiele; 19 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; two sisters, Norma Holman and Anita (Chuck) Meyer; and many nephews and nieces.

She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Christine; her husband, Everett “Bud”; her daughter, Linda; and sister, Betty Palmer.

Donna's Memorial Folder