Joseph R. “Joe” Thelen, age 83 of Shawano, passed away peacefully on Wednesday evening, December 27, 2023, at the Pines in Embarrass, surrounded by his loving family.
Joe was born in Mobile, Alabama on October 2, 1940, a son of the late Arnold and Bonita (Haevers) Thelen. He attended Sacred Heart Catholic School followed by Shawano High School, graduating with the Class of 1958. Following high school, Joe attended vocational school where he studied surveying and civil engineering. He worked for the State of Wisconsin as a surveyor for the Department of Transportation, District 3. In 1963, Joe was drafted into the U.S. Army where he served in Germany as a map maker. After two years of service, he was honorably discharged in 1965 and returned to the U.S. where he continued working for the State of Wisconsin as the Surveying Coordinator for District 3. Joe retained this position for 33 years, retiring in 1998. He loved his job and the people he worked with.
On June 28, 1968, Joe was united in marriage to the former Micki Reible. He is a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Shawano. Joe loved anything that had to do with the land including farming, gardening, doing custom baling, and raising pumpkins and squash which he loved sharing with friends and family. He also enjoyed stock car racing, restoring his ‘41 Ford with John Schultz, going to car swaps, reading, and hunting. Joe was a dedicated husband and father and loved the frequent family get-togethers. He loved to tell stories of his younger years as well as jokes with anyone who would listen.
Survivors include his wife, Micki Thelen of Shawano; three daughters, Karisa (Dean) Schulze, Mary (J.D.) Kast, and Jenny (Brett) Thelen-Osgood; his grandchildren, Joe (Ashley) Kast, Adrea (Brent Kain) Kast, Sam Schulze, Jack Osgood, and Luke Osgood; three great-grandchildren, Shelton Kain, Olivia Kast, and Hadlynn Kast; his sister, Mary Lou (Mike) Kuhn; sister-in-law, Nancy Wendorf-Thelen; and special nephew and nieces, Jim (Amy) Bohr, Mary (Buzz) Krueger, and Patti (Dave) Lefebvre. He is further survived by many nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends. Joe was preceded in death by his brother, Jack (Mardi Ludolph) Thelen, and his sister, Barbara (Jack) Bohr.
A Funeral Mass for Joseph Thelen will be celebrated on Friday, January 5, 2024, at 11:00 am at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Shawano. Fr. Edward Looney will be the Celebrant. Burial will take place at the Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery in Shawano. Visitation will begin at the church on Friday morning at 9:00 am and continue until the time of Mass.
In lieu of flowers and plants, the family prefers memorials to the Alzheimer’s Association at https://www.alz.org/wi then click on the “donate” button.
“The family would like to thank Dr. Tod C. Lewis, Ava Bendtschneider from Jenny’s Assisted Living, and the staff of the Pines Acute Memory Care team for the care and support they gave Joe.”
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