Ursula Loretta Thedens

Ursula Loretta (Wacker) Thedens passed away peacefully on Monday, December 27, 2021, at Methodist Mayo Clinic Hospital. She was born on July 9,1928, in Cloyd Valley Township, Edmunds County, South Dakota, to Frederick and Alma (Rueb) Wacker. She was the oldest of 15 children. At the age of six she moved with her family from Aberdeen, South Dakota to Rochester. She attended schools in Rochester where she learned to speak English. She quit school when she was sixteen to go to work to help support her family. She met the love of her life, Alfred Thedens, at the Pla-Mor Ballroom and they were married on September 25, 1949, at the First Presbyterian Church. They were able to celebrate their 70th anniversary. Together they farmed in Farmington Township for the rest of their lives. They loved dancing to old time music and visiting with friends. She loved flowers, crocheting, ceramics and making rosettes and krumkake. She worked as a housekeeper at St. Mary's and was proud to be the first housekeeper to awarded the Karis Award. After retiring, she cleaned private homes. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church where she was active in the Esther Circle and served as a deacon. Throughout her life she always remembered how the church helped her family as she was growing up. She was a member of the Esther Circle and also served as a deacon. She is survived by her children Linda (Glenn) Zarling (Plainview) and Mike (Connie) Thedens (Elgin); grandchildren Matthew (Kristin) Zarling (Rochester), Erin (Jeremy) Peterson (Elgin), Erika (Ian) Chapman (Reedsport, Oregon), Andrew Thedens (Rochester), Ricky (Elizabeth) Thedens (Plainview), and Luke Thedens (Rochester); great grandchildren Joshua and Alicia Zarling, Hanna, Heidi, and Hunter Peterson, Daniel, Ryan, and Willow Chapman, and Oliver Thedens; and step grandchildren Keira (Oliver) Norwyn, Brayden (Alea) Peterson, and Torin Peterson. She is also survived by siblings Virginia Nitardy (St. Paul), Norman Wacker (Iowa), Doraine (Terry) Fieck (Washingrton), Sheryl (Ron) Theel (Missouri) and Robert (Sharon) Wacker (Colorado). She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her siblings Frederick Wacker, Betty Schmidt, Norma Shepherd, Ruth Murray, Margie Lee, Paul Wacker, Janice Buegler, and an infant brother. A memorial service will be held on January 4, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 512 3rd St SW, Rochester, MN, with visitation one hour prior to the service. View the online service here: fpcrochester.org Memorials are preferred to First Presbyterian Church. Interment will be at Oakwood Cemetery, Rochester, MN. Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Thedens family; to share a special memory or condolence please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com