Ronda Thorstenson
Ronda R. Thorstenson, 78, of Waukon died Friday, October 4, 2019 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Memorial services will be held Wednesday, October 9 at 1 p.m. at Old West Paint Creek Lutheran Church in rural Waukon, with Pastor Ken Kimball officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday at the church. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon is handling the arrangements.
Ronda Rae Thorstenson was born November 8, 1940 in Rockford, IL, the daughter of Roy Forkner and Helen (Johnson) Bruns. She was baptized at Center Baptist Church in rural Lansing and attended Elon Country School and Waukon High School in Waukon.
May 31, 1958, she married Wayne Thorstenson at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. They lived in Waterloo for a couple of years and then moved to Waterville before moving to rural Waukon. Ronda bartended at the Sportsman’s Club in Rossville and Dar’s Place in Waukon before she went to work at the Button Factory in Lansing.
She was a member of Old West Paint Creek Lutheran Church where she was active in its women’s groups. Ronda enjoyed snowmobiling, fishing, hunting frogs, sewing and crocheting. She loved spending time with her family and friends.
Survivors include her husband, Wayne, of Waukon; her children: Debra (Tim) Thrower of Clover, SC, Terri Thorstenson of Waukon and Eric (Stacy) Thorstenson of Cedar Rapids; five grandchildren: Erica (Kyle) Moritz, Matthew (Caity) Fransen, Ryne (Kimberly) Hartkemeyer, and Cade and Adalyn Thorstenson; six great-grandchildren: Lauren and Ben Moritz, Jamie Fransen, and Bradly, Evan and Lucas Hartkemeyer; her siblings: Patricia Bruns, Cheryl (Curt) Roe and Mary Bruns, all of Waukon, Nancy (Bob) Sloup of Wahoo, NE, Ken (Kathryn) Bruns of Gary, SD, Laurayne (DuWayne) Snitker of Waukon, Bob (Lori) Bruns of Hawley, MN, Ron (Colleen) Bruns of Egan, MN and Linda (Charles) Albright of Independence. She is preceded in death by her parents and two infant brothers, Richard and Steven Bruns.
Honorary casketbearers are Ronda’s grandchildren. Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
