Bonnie (Riesberg) Thein passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 2, 2020, with family by her side.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, February 6, 2020 at St. John Paul II Parish – St. Lawrence Church in Carroll. The Celebrant will be Fr. Timothy Schott. Music will be by Kate Cuddy and the St. Lawrence Choir. Lectors will be Andrew Thein, Nate Brody, and Louisa Brody. Gift Bearers will be Sophie Nissenbaum, Maddie Nissenbaum, Ben Brody, and Ethan Brody. Eucharistic Minister will be Joan Badding. Casket Bearers will be Brian Heck, Bob Shirbroun, Dean Riesselman, Jim Riesberg, Marty Fleskes, and Gina Kanne. The St. Anthony Hospital Auxiliary will form an honor guard for the funeral mass. Burial will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Carroll.
Friends may call at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll after 5 p.m. on Wednesday, where there will be a Christian Wake Service held at 7 p.m.
The casket will be moved to St. Lawrence Church on Thursday morning where visitation will resume from 9:30 a.m. until 10:15 a.m.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be left at the funeral home or at the church for the Jack and Bonnie Thein Scholarship Fund at Kuemper Catholic Schools or St. John Paul II Parish. Those wishing to mail a memorial, please direct to Sharp Funeral Home; c/o Jack and Bonnie Thein Memorial, 226 W. 8th St. Carroll, IA 51401.
Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll, and online condolences may be left for Bonnie’s family at www.sharpfuneral.com.
Bonnie Thein was born September 16, 1934, in Halbur, IA, the daughter of Lawrence and Alvina (Lamberty) Riesberg. She attended St. Augustine grade school and graduated from St. Angela Academy in 1952. Upon graduating from high school, she worked in the bookkeeping departments at St. Anthony Hospital and Carroll County State Bank. After he proposed numerous times (he kept the ring in his glove box of his car), she finally said yes and married Jack Thein on July 30, 1955 in Halbur, Iowa. Jack and Bonnie created a wonderful and loving household, where Bonnie managed the homefront, driving Scott on paper routes, sewing Jill’s dance costumes and bringing Lori meals during lifeguard breaks. As the children grew, she worked part-time for Drs. Winjum and Winjum for 16 years. Upon retirement, Bonnie had even more time to give back to the community she and Jack loved. For many years, she delivered Meals on Wheels, volunteered in the Radiology Department at the hospital, assisted in the alumni office at Kuemper, served on the Carroll County Election Board, performed various jobs for RSVP and volunteered at St. Lawrence Church. She was a member of St. Lawrence Parish for over 60 years and was a member of the St. Anthony Auxiliary and the American Legion Auxiliary.
Bonnie’s hobbies reflected and supported the causes she was passionate about: community and family. She traveled to visit friends, family and grandchildren; she loved reading, baking, decorating her home, music and singing, exercising (she was a regular at the gym) and socializing with friends. Bonnie was a huge sports fan, and loved watching Iowa State football and basketball and was a regular in the bleachers at Kuemper sporting events. Bonnie and Scott had “post-game analysis phone calls” after almost every ISU basketball game. During NCAA March Madness basketball she was glued to her television set and frequently won pools at Lori’s and Jill’s places of work. In fact one victorious year she used her earnings to bake and send dozens of cookies to Wisconsin to Lori and Jill’s office!
Bonnie is survived by her children Scott (Barb Benziger) Thein of Lemon Grove, CA; Lori of Mt. Horeb, WI; and Jill Thein-Nissenbaum (David) of Middleton, WI; 7 grandchildren: Andrew Thein; Nate, Louisa, Ben and Ethan Brody; Sophie and Maddie Nissenbaum. Siblings Donald Riesberg, Shirley Fleskes, Charlene Manual, Virginia Walsh and Carol (Dick) Donovan and brother-in-law Leonard Riesselman and sister-in-law Gloria Riesberg.
She was preceded in death by Jack, her husband of 59 years; her parents; her in-laws; her sister Phyllis Riesberg, her brother, Duane Riesberg, brothers-in-law Jay Shirbourn, Jack Manual, Jack Fleskes; sisters-in-law Donna Riessleman, Lillian (Tegels) Riesberg and Darlene Riesberg and nephew Brad Fleskes.
