Funeral service for Richard Thiel was held June 23 at Martin-Mattice Funeral Home in Emmetsburg. The Rev. Jamie Negus of Grace Fellowship Church in Hartley, Iowa, officiated. Interment was at Evergreen Cemetery in Emmetsburg.
Clarence Richard (Dick) Thiel, son of Clarence and Hazel (Long) Thiel, was born Sept. 2, 1932, on a farm near Graettinger. He attended country school in Palo Alto County.
On June 24, 1951, Dick was united in marriage to Beverly Jean Knudson. They were blessed with six children. Dick owned and operated “Dick’s Recreation”, a tavern in Emmetsburg, a local gathering place. He began farming the Thiel family farm and subsequently sold the tavern, taking up long-haul truck driving in the winter months, when the fields lay fallow. In addition to farming, Dick also raised livestock for quite some time, for market and to provide food for his large family. He finally retired from driving semi-trucks after 40+ years on the road, enjoying the diverse scenery across the U.S. Dick never stopped farming the land he loved, a remarkable achievement for a 90 year-old man, but not at all surprising to his family and those who knew him well.
Dick’s wife Beverly “Bevy Jean”, passed away in 1996, and he later married Marcella Schaller. After Marcella’s death, Dick met Betty Leners and they were together for several years, up to his death.
Dick’s first priority was always his family and he worked hard to provide for them. Thus, he did not have much spare time for hobbies, as such. He enjoyed mowing the lawns and road ditches near his farm fields, organizing and maintaining his tools, equipment and machinery, and “crop checking” every season, putting countless miles on his pick-up trucks over the years. In prior years, fishing with his family and friends, boating, picnicking and being with others, talking, joking, and laughing brought joy to his life. Whenever, wherever Dick was around, there was always laughter. He set a wonderful example of living life to the fullest, to work hard and do it well, take risks, learn something new, lend a helping hand, to weather the storms of loss and adversity with perseverance, grace, healing love and laughter.
He passed away Saturday, June 17, 2023, at the Palo Alto County Hospital in Emmetsburg at the age of 90. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Hazel Thiel; his first wife and mother of his children, Beverly; his second wife, Marcella; infant daughter, Diane Thiel; son, Jim Thiel; great grandson, James Hindman; son-in-law Roger Gould; brothers, Robert Thiel and Roger Thiel; and a sister, Margaret Shryock.
Dick is survived by five daughters: Jean Reinders (Dan) of Havelock, IA, Cindy Gould (Praveen) of Ames, IA, Connie Cody (Mark) of Sutherland, IA, Ruth Harlicker (Rob) of Minnetonka, MN, Sharrie Girres (Tim) of Graettinger; one daughter-in-law: Julie Thiel of Mondamin, IA; nineteen grandchildren: Jason (Laura), Jennifer (Dave), Jeff (Dana), Shawn (Kristen), Brian, Khushi, Yashveer, Lisa (Jeff), Jon (Jenny), Lee (Becky), Angela (Joseph), Emily, Alex (Darcy), Kristina, Stephanie, Zach, Jamie, Jennifer, and Jessica. He is also survived by twenty-six great grandchildren, his partner, Betty Leners, as well as many other relatives and friends.
Arrangements by Martin-Mattice Funeral Home.
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