Thelma Marthaler

Thelma D. Marthaler, age 91, of Sauk Centre, died peacefully Saturday, September 26, 2015 at the CentraCare Health Nursing Home in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, October 2 at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in Sauk Centre. Rev. Greg Paffel will officiate with Rev. Andrew Marthaler concelebrating. Interment will be in St. Paul's Cemetery in Sauk Centre.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday and from 9 to 10 a.m. Friday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Sauk Centre. Parish prayers will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday evening.

Thelma Mikkelson Marthaler was born to Mikkal and Olga Johnson Mikkelson in October, 1923 in Gordon Township, Todd County, near Osakis, Minnesota and was baptized in Salem Lutheran Church. She attended County School District #63 through eighth grade and then Osakis High School, graduating in 1942. In high school, she worked at Robinson Grocery Store; after high school, at the Osakis Variety Store. In the fall of 1943, she moved to Portland, Oregon and worked in the Kaiser Shipyards as a welder until the war ended in 1945.

Moving back to Osakis, she married Alois Marthaler in August of 1946 at Saint Alexius Catholic Church in West Union. They moved to Montevideo, in 1949. Tim was born in November 1951. In 1955, the family moved to Sauk Centre and Roger was born in October 1956. Al owned and operated Marthaler Plumbing and Heating while Thelma was the bookkeeper. Roger passed away in May, 1970; Al died in January, 1971. Thelma then went to work at Sauk Centre High School in the lunch room from 1971 to 1973. In 1973, she was hired as a bookkeeper and cashier at Lampert Lumber Company, where she worked until she retired in 1982. She married Vince Grossman in January 1979. He passed away in June 2000.

Thelma belonged to St. Paul's Catholic Church where she served as a Eucharistic Minister, Paul F. Donart VFW Post 2853 and American Legion Post 67 Auxiliaries, St. Paul's Christian Mothers, and Daughters of Isabella. She was also active in her knitting group, helped in the lunch room at Holy Family School, and volunteered at St. Michael's Hospital Gift Shop.

Thelma will be deeply missed by her son and daughter-in-law, Tim and Nancy Marthaler of Roseville; step-sons, John (Suzanne) Grossman of Hastings and Bruce (Jeannie) Grossman and family of Seattle, WA; twin grandsons, David Marthaler of Roseville and Jonathan (Lisa) Marthaler of Roseville; sisters, Arlene (Kenneth) Sorenson of Osakis, Charlotte Schultz of Osakis, and Marian Brynjulfson of Sauk Centre; sister-in-law, Shirley Gillan of Sauk Centre and other family members.

Thelma is preceded in death by her parents; first husband, Alois Marthaler; second husband, Vincent Grossman; son, Roger Marthaler; brothers and sisters, Merlin Mikkelson, Kate Marthaler, Harry Mikkelson, Raymond Mikkelson, and Lela Sax.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.

View Thelma's specially prepared Life Story at:
http://www.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/thelma-marthaler.109072