Elaine Thede

Elaine Alvena Dreessen Thede, 91, of Gladbrook passed away Monday morning, June 24, 2024, at Westbrook Acres Nursing Home in Gladbrook. Funeral services were held Friday, June 28, 2024, at Peace United Church of Christ in Gladbrook. Visitation was held one hour prior to service. Interment followed services at Maple Hill Cemetery in rural Gladbrook. Memorials may be directed to Compassus Hospice in Cedar Falls, IA. Anderson Funeral Homes of Gladbrook has been caring for Elaine and her family. Online condolences may be sent to www.andersonfhs.com.

Elaine Alvena Dreessen was born July 25, 1932, in Marshalltown, IA, daughter of Martin and Hilda (Luethje) Dreessen. She lived on the farm west of Gladbrook with her parents and older brother Roger for the first 18 years of her life until she got married and moved to the town of Gladbrook. She would spend the rest of her life there until going to the nursing home. When Elaine went to country school growing up, she would carry a 5-gallon pail of water, 3/4 full from her home to school when it was her turn to do this. It was done in partners and the school was a quarter mile away. Elaine was also a spelling bee champion in 8th grade.

On November 7, 1950, she married Loren Thede at Peace Church in Gladbrook on a Tuesday. They lived in a one room schoolhouse northeast of Gladbrook for six months. They later moved to 513 Garfield in 1951.

Elaine raised 4 children, Dale, Denise, Doris and Donna. As a full-time homemaker, she did all the cooking including making swatbroat. She made lots of clothes. She was in a bowling league for many years, some with dad. In 1968, she became a sub cook at the school. Then becoming a full-time cook until 1987 when she retired. She enjoyed the many one day and multiple day trips her and dad took around the country making a scrapbook of each one and having a magnet on the fridge commemorating some part of the trip. And of course, she enjoyed all the polka dances and the friends they had there. She was a member of the Polka Club of Iowa.

Elaine is survived by her four children, Dale (Kim) Thede of Urbandale, IA, Denise Wood of Macomb, IL, Doris (Dennis) Gienger of Gladbrook, and Donna (Mike) Schrage of Lonsdale, MN, 11 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband Loren, one brother Roger and son in law Richard Wood.