Thekla Dora Sela Kruse Nielsen

Thekla Dora Sela Kruse Nielsen, 97, died March 2, 2007, at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Dorothy and Ralph Marquardt of rural New Auburn, WI. Services for Mrs. Nielsen will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Preston, Iowa, on Thursday, March 8, 2007, at 11:00 with a visitation 10:-11:00 a.m. at the church prior to the service. Burial will be at Center Grove Cemetery in Gooselake, Iowa. Memorials may be given to St. John’s Lutheran Church, Preston.
Thekla Nielsen, the eldest daughter of Paul Herman and Minnie Frahm Kruse, was born on the Kruse family farm northeast of Goose Lake, Iowa, in Clinton County, on August 20, 1909. She attended schools in the Goose Lake and Preston areas. She took a secretarial class to learn typing and also worked as a hired girl. She married Andrew C. Nielsen at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Preston, Iowa, on May 4, 1930. They farmed the Kruse farm until 1942, when they moved to the Foster place west of Preston. In 1975, Thekla and Andy retired to their home in Preston, Iowa. Andy died July 4, 1991, after 61 years of marriage. Thekla was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, the Women of the Church, and Ruth Circle. She loved reading, sewing, cooking and especially baking. Most of all she loved and cared for her family.
Thekla is survived by daughters, Katharine (Kenneth) Pohlmann, Huntley, IL, Minnie (Martin) Gottburgsen, Miles, IA, and Dorothy (Ralph) Marquardt, New Auburn, WI; son, Norman (Barbara) Nielsen of Preston, IA; daughter-in-law, Joan Nielsen also of Preston, 18 grandchildren in order of birth: Kristine Pohlmann Stewart, Ruth Pohlmann Carlson, Luther Pohlmann, Barbara Nielsen Ghaddar, Nancy Nielsen Gonzales, David Nielsen, Andrea Pohlmann, Andrew Gottburgsen, Inge Gottburgsen, Dana Nielsen Hackett, Michael Marquardt, Scott Marquardt, Jan Gottburgsen Ketelsen, Jon Marquardt, Ruth Nielsen, Nicholaus Nielsen, Lisa Nielsen, and Laura Nielsen; 31 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great-grandchildren; 1 sister, Lorena Lindner of Portland, Oregon.
Mrs. Nielsen was preceded in death by her husband, 2 sons: Frederick Nielsen and Baby Nielsen; 2 grandsons: Karl Pohlmann and Andrew G. Nielsen; 1 great grandson, one sister, Aldine Krumviede, and one brother, William Kruse.