Luella Marie Thiessen

Luella “Lu” Marie Thiessen, 81, of Aitkin, passed away Wednesday, July 5, 2023 at Aicota Health Care Center, Aitkin.  Lu was born on December 16, 1941 to Peter and Martha (Ortmann) Thiessen.  As a child she grew up on a farm in northern Minnesota near the town of Warroad.  At the age of eleven she was born again into God’s family at Sunday School convention in Alsen, North Dakota in 1952.  There was a thunderstorm that evening during the meeting and lights were out.  The altar call was given by candlelight and Lu responded to the invitation to give her heart to Jesus who had died for her.  Her grandfather, Helmuth Ortmann came to her side and prayed with her.

Lu graduated from Warroad Public High School in 1959.  She went on to attend college at Grace College of the Bible in Omaha, Nebraska with a degree in Christian Education.  While at Grace she earned money to pay tuition and room and board by working at St. Joseph Hospital in the medical supply department.  One year she worked at J.C. Penny’s in the supply department.  In between her junior and senior year at Grace, she took a year off to work in the medical records department at St. Joseph Hospital in Grand Fors, North Dakota.  After graduating from Grace, she enrolled at the Minnesota University in St. Cloud and graduated with a B.A. in elementary education in 1966.

Her first teaching position became a permanent one and she taught at Ripple Side Elementary School in Aitkin for 32 years in the fourth grade.  She retired from that position in 1999.  After retiring from full time teaching, she worked as a children’s leader in BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) with the older pre-school children helping them learn about Jesus.  She did that for many years.  She was always busy in the church where she worshiped, serving as a Christian Education Director, on Mission Committees and as a Sunday School Teacher.

Her hobbies were gardening and quilting.  She enjoyed the Women’s retreats at Camp Lebanon and the quilting that was done at quilt retreats.  Many of her quilts went to hospice patients.

Lu traveled to many different countries.  One of her favorites was traveling with a group of teachers for a grand tour of Europe in 1976.  On another European trip she traveled with a group of Christian ladies.  She made two trips to Norway and Sweden.  On one of those trips, she drove a rental car and stayed on a family farm.  She was also a traveling companion on a trip to Africa and visited Zaire (now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo), Liberia and Kenya.  She made two trips to Israel.  On her second trip to Israel she also traveled to Egypt, saw the Pyramids and even rode a donkey in the desert.  On a missions trip to Honduras in Central America she assisted in building a church for the deaf.  She also enjoyed traveling throughout the United States and Canada.  In telling her stories of her adventures, she would tell of the many answered prayers and of God’s wonderful care for her.

Lu is preceded in death by her parents; sister, Vi Musser and brother-in-law, Wayne Musser; brother, John Thiessen; brother-in-law, Phil Regier.

Lu is survived by 3 sisters, Evelyn (Mike) Dreher, Caroline (Doug) Kneich and Dorothy (Larry) Friesen.

Services will be Monday, July 10 at 11 AM in Glory Baptist Church, Aitkin with Pastor Chris Meirose officiating.  Visitation will be 1 hour prior to the service at the church.  Interment will be in Glory Cemetery, Aitkin.  To sign the guestbook online, go to:  www.srtfuneral.com.  Arrangements are with Sorensen-Root-Thompson Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Aitkin.

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