Mary Ann Thiele

Funeral services for Mary Ann Thiele, 87, of Clearwater, will be Saturday, Feb. 29, at 10:30 a.m., at St. Theresa's Catholic Church in Clearwater, with Father John Norman and Father James Kramper officiating. Burial will be at St. Theresa's Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday, Feb. 28, from 5 to 7 p.m., at St. Theresa's Catholic Church, with a 7 p.m. wake service.

Mary Ann died Sunday, Feb. 23, at Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk. Snider Memorial Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. Condolences may be directed to the family at http://www.snidermemorialfh.com.

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Mary Ann (Koenig) Thiele, daughter of Ludwig and Martha (Kallhoff) Koenig, was born Feb. 21, 1933, at their home southwest of Ewing. She grew up on her parents' farm, attended rural grade school and graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1950. She worked as a stenographer in Omaha from 1950 to 1951. She then got her teaching degree from Wayne State College and taught at a country school.

On June 17, 1952, she was united in marriage to Arnold Thiele at St. John's Catholic Church in rural Clearwater. They were married 39 years. They raised their family south of Clearwater, where together they began the farming and livestock operation now known as Thiele Dairy.

Mary Ann was a member of St. Theresa's Catholic Church, where she began the prayer line and was a Eucharistic minister. She enjoyed sharing her faith and administering Communion to the sick and homebound. She was a member of St. Theresa's Altar Society and the American Legion Auxiliary in Clearwater. She also enjoyed gardening, mowing her yard, baking cookies and playing cards with her special group of lady friends.

Her grandchildren were her pride and joy. She loved planning and spending special times with all of them and they shared each other's competitive spirit. Favorite memories were playing cards, wading in the creek, going to the water park, playing hide and seek on the four wheelers and attending their many sporting events and activities.

She is survived by her children: Bill Thiele of Clearwater, Bonnie (Tom) Hoefer of Elgin; Tom Thiele of Clearwater and special friend Ann Simmons; Ron (Karol) Thiele of Clearwater; Kenny (Lori) Thiele of Aurora; Carolyn (Paul) Reinertson of Gibbon; Kevin (Lisa) Thiele of Wahoo and Tim (Theresa) Thiele of Kearney; 24 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; brother, Bob (Florence) Koenig of Lincoln; brothers-in-law, Leo Thiele of Columbus, and LeRoy Sprunk of Columbus; several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Mary Ann was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Arnold; children, Jerry and Mark Thiele; brother, Jim Koenig; sisters, Bernice Roth and Kathryn Sojka and grandson-in-law, Matt Goette.