Janice E. Thiese
Janice Elizabeth (Gehring) Thiese, 96, passed away Feb. 13, 2025.
Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, April 26, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Guttenberg, where funeral services will commence at 11 a.m. Conducted by Rev. Mike Ashman.
Burial will follow in Guttenberg City Cemetery.
Janice was born on Jan. 17, 1929, to Charles Webb and Alice Fredericks (Schoentag) Gehring. She started school at a county school near Wadena and transferred to Elgin High School where she attended from the eighth grade to the twelfth grade and graduated in 1946. She attended UNI for one semester for a required chemistry credit, then transferred to Rochester for Kahler School of Nursing until she was capped.
In 1950, Janice married William P. Pape and was married for 25 years. They had two children, Lynn and Gordon. They farmed by West Union, later purchasing farms near Eldorado. She worked all those years in Fayette County Courthouse, starting as a clerk, then deputy, and ending as a Fayette County Auditor.
She married Jim Crandall, they moved to Las Vegas, where she was the manager of two radio stations. After a time, she decided her children were too far away and moved back to Clayton Center, buying a little county bar and operating it. She also took a job as a Field Auditor for the state.
In 1988, she married Wayne Thiese, moving to Guttenberg along the river. She retired in 1991, they took many bus trips, including two trips to Hawaii, Alaska, and many parts of the United States. Throughout her life, she remained an active member of her church and was always the first to volunteer in any way she could. She was also an active member of the Pearl Chapter Order of the Eastern Star.
Janice always remembered and cherished the friendships that she made throughout her lifetime. They are too numerous to list, but she talked often about them to friends and families and always made sure to stay in touch. She loved to send cards on every occasion and never missed one!
Left to cherish her memory are her daughter, Lynn (Eldon) Angeroth; sister, Kathy (Dave) Elliff; grandchildren, David (Patty) Wilhelm, Susan (Randy) Frein, Jake (Steph) Wilhelm, Brandon Pape, Shana Wickham; nine great-grandchildren; eight great-great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews and many friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Wayne Thiese; parents; son, Gordon Pape; grandson, Jack Pape; brother and sister-in-law, Jack and Eve Gehring; and nephew, Kurt Eliff.
The family would like to extend a heartfelt thanks and appreciation for the dedication, support, and services that were provided by Methodist Manor, Storm Lake and St. Croix Hospice.
Morris Funeral Home in Guttenberg is assisting the family. Information is available at www.kramer-morrisfuneralhome.com.
