Eula Thies

Eula B. Thies, 102, of Waukon died Friday, February 17, 2017 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services were held Tuesday, February 21 at First Presbyterian Church in Waukon with Pastor Grant VanderVelden officiating. Burial was at Phelps Cemetery, Decorah.

Eula Bessie Nagel Thies was born December 28, 1914 in rural Luana, the daughter of William and Nellie (Fish) Roffman. She attended country schools and December 6, 1930, Eula married Ralph Nagel. The couple lived on Ralph’s parents’ farm near Luana.

Eula was a hard-working woman, never one to sit around. Besides helping care for Ralph’s 12 siblings and raising her two children, Eula milked cows, fed pigs, cooked and helped with all other aspects of farm life. She and Ralph then rented a farm in the rural Postville/Waukon area before settling on a farm near Decorah.

In 1967, Ralph passed away and Eula moved into Decorah, working at Ronnie’s Café, cleaning doctors’ offices and washing out milk testing bottles. She met Howard Thies and January 29, 1972, they married at First Presbyterian Church in Waukon; Eula moved to Waukon to live with Howard. She worked in the kitchen at Waukon High School until she retired at the age 70.

A member of First Presbyterian Church, Eula belonged to the ladies aide circle. She loved gardening and was always planning her next garden, constantly growing something new she received from the seed catalogs such as a banana plant or a combination tomato/potato plant. Along with irises and hens and chicks, Eula also grew vegetables. She did some canning and liked to bake, particularly “tassies” or little pecan pies.

Fishing was a family event with Ralph and the kids and grandkids; she would pack up a picnic and they’d venture to the Upper Iowa River for a day. With Howard, she enjoyed taking car rides Sunday afternoons and traveled to California, the Dakotas and Red Wing, MN to visit his family. Eula also liked putting together jigsaw puzzles and crocheting doll clothes and afghans.

Eula is survived by her son, Leo Nagel of Decorah; her son-in-law, Fred Broszeit of Frankville; a special friend, Ray Hildebrand of Waukon; six grandchildren: Elaine Broszeit, Loren Broszeit, Joann (James) Duvel, Linda (Brian) Dinger, Tammy (Kevin) Ihde and Randy (Shannon) Nagel; 11 great-grandchildren; 11-1/2 great-great-grandchildren; her stepson, Allan (Jan) Thies of Red Wing, MN; two step-grandchildren; and many step-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands,  Ralph Nagel in 1967 and Howard Thies in 1999; her daughter, Dorothy Broszeit; her daughter-in-law, Donna Nagel; two brothers, Leonard (Kate) Roffman and Glenn “Pops” (Fern) Roffman; and three sisters, Florence (Charles) Ewing, Marie (Carl) Smith and infant Viola Roffman.

Honorary casketbearers were Eula’s great-granddaughters and great-great-grandchildren. Casketbearers were Darcy Broszeit, Quentin and Zachary Holkesvik, Jimmy Broszeit, Zebulen Holkesvik, and Kyle and Josh Ihde.

Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.