Willa Dee Evelyn Thoen
Willa Dee Evelyn Thoen passed away at home on September 21, 2016. She was born the youngest of 5 children to Margaret and William Troester at home on the family farm in Hamilton County, Nebraska on April 3, 1926.
She graduated from Aurora High School in 1943 and then taught in a one room schoolhouse for one year. She then attended nursing schools at Lincoln General Hospital and Boston University graduating with a Bachelor of Science in 1950. She also attended Valparaiso University. She taught orthopedic nursing at the University of Portland for 3 years. In 1953 she moved to Seattle where she worked at the University of Washington’s Respirator Center at Harborview Hospital as the first supervising nurse.
She met her future husband, Wally Thoen, the following year at Trinity Lutheran Church. They married April 10, 1955 and bought a home in Bellevue. While occasionally working as a nurse, most of her life was dedicated to her family. She and Wally enjoyed 57 years together until Wally died in 2012. She continued to live and be loved and cared for by family in the same home until she joined her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
She is survived by her four children Mike of Bellevue, Frank (Karen) of Edmonds, Kathy Gelzer (Dan) of Bellevue, and Tom (Teri) of Pasadena, California; 8 grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren.
She loved her family, cooking, gardening, spending time with friends, church-related activities, bird watching, nature, singing hymns, and helping others. She also served a number of years as a Republican precinct officer.
She once wrote that people and her experiences have added to her happiness, but the source of her greatest joy was in Jesus Christ from Whom all blessings come and through Whom all things are possible.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 8, 2016 at Newport Covenant Church in Bellevue. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to World Vision. Please sign Willa Dee’s online guestbook at www.flintofts.com.
