Deanna Marie Thelen

Dee Thelen, better known as Mom, Grandma, Gigi, or Grandma Dee, died suddenly and unexpectedly June 27, 2022 at age 76. She was born July 14, 1945 in Shelby, Nebraska, the daughter of Milford and Arlene Johansen. She graduated from Shelby High School, and later continued her education by earning a Bachelor of Science in Piano Pedagogy from Illinois Wesleyan University, followed by a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy and finally a Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling. She married her childhood sweetheart Ken with whom she celebrated 58 years of marriage in December of 2021. They settled in Illinois, where she taught private piano lessons and served faithfully as both piano accompanist and Bible study teacher in her local church. They later moved to Wisconsin to join the faculty of Maranatha Baptist University, where she started a piano pedagogy program. They then moved to Georgia and she taught class and private piano at First Baptist Church Woodstock, the church in which she served faithfully and led a women’s mentoring Bible study. She loved playing the piano, sewing, crafting, scrapbooking, knitting, baking, and gardening. She was passionate about studying her Bible, journaling, praying, mentoring, and discipling. She fiercely loved and invested in her husband, her children, her grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and these brought her joy beyond measure. Her time was never wasted, but spent poring over her Bible, praying over the needs of her family, her friends, and her church family. She is preceded in death by her father, her mother, and her brother. She is survived by her husband Ken Thelen; her children: Todd (Tammy) Thelen, Tammy (Greg) Weniger, Traci (Jake) Hamilton; her grandchildren: Tressa (Tim) Thill, Terra (TJ) Rexilius, Tia (Michael) Holder, Ashleigh Weniger, Brooke (Johnny) Rysdyk, Jordan (Chelsea) Weniger, Scott(Haley) Weniger, Maddison, Kennedi, Jonah, and Teaghan Hamilton; her great-grand-children: Wyatt, Jackson, Kyla, Westen, Taylor, Maximus, Clays, Deirx, Daisy, Dixon, Noah, Dakota, Piper Jo, and wolf. Her celebration of life service will be held at 9:30 AM, on Saturday, July 02, 2022 in the chapel of First Baptist Church Woodstock. Please use the link below to view the celebration of life online. https://boxcast.tv/view/mrs-dee-thelen-utfvhsueel3rvcqhkyni