Edna Theona Nemoede

Edna Theona (nee Theel) Nemoede, 95, died on Sunday, May 10, 2015, at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester.A life-long Rochester resident, she lived in her Golden Hill neighborhood home for over 64 years until mid-April when complications from diabetes required more care. Edna was born February 12, 1920, to Theona (nee Kanestadt) and Otto A. Theel on the family farm on the Salem Road.When she was only three weeks old, her mother died from influenza, and she went to live with her paternal grandparents, Albert and Ida (nee Martins) Theel on their farm just down the road.When Edna was three, her grandparents retired from farming and moved to town, taking Edna with them.She lived with them the rest of their lives. Edna attended Trinity Lutheran and Hawthorne schools and graduated from Rochester High School in 1937.After graduation, she worked for Tauers Grocery where she met her husband-to-be who delivered groceries in the sidecar of his motorcycle. Edna married George Edward Nemoede on September 18, 1942.In addition to their own children, Edna raised Georges daughter, Nancy, who was five when they married. For most of her life, Edna was a homemaker and took care of kids long before daycare was a profession.Many she cared for were children of teachers at Golden Hill school.She had a huge vegetable garden and canned tomatoes, pickles, and sauerkraut and froze peas, beans, corn, and other vegetables that varied throughout the years.She also had flower garden beds throughout the property, and she baked garden dirt for her houseful of tender African violets. She still has African violets filling her home. When her children were grown, Edna joined the working world, first at the Rochester Post-Bulletin as a proof reader and then at Rochester Methodist Hospital as a housekeeper.She retired from RMH when she turned 65 and returned to caring for children in her home - her two grandchildren whom she treasured for the rest of her life. Edna is survived by three daughters - Susan (Doug, deceased) Ocheltree and Ann (Tom) Schwalen both of Rochester and Bonnie Denzer of Utica, Minnesota; two grandchildren - Edward (Susan) Denzer of Colorado and Theona Denzer of Utica; two greatgrandchildren - Charles and David Denzer of Colorado; three step-grandchildren - Tracey Atwood of Missouri and Della (Michael) Christian and Troy (Richie) Gray-Misterka both of Huntsville, Alabama; and six step-greatgrandchildren - Philip and Stuart Atwood, Aaron and William Christian, and James and Shelby Gray. She was preceded in death by her parents, her grandparents, her husband, their firstborn child - son, Edward, who died of polio when he was only three years old, and her step-daughter Nancy (Jyles, deceased) Machen. Visitation will be held Thursday, May 14th from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral home and one hour before the funeral service at the church.Her funeral will be held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (559 20th Street SW), where she was a founding member over 50 years ago, on Friday, May 15th, at 11:00 a.m.Edna was cremated and will be buried with her husband at Oakwood cemetery following the service. Memorials can be made to the donors choice or to Mayo Clinics Office of Development for continued research to cure diabetes.