Maybelle Pauline Thelen

Maybelle Pauline Thelen, passed away peacefully after a hard fought battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was born July 25, 1931 to Celestine and Margaret (Uhren) Feldpausch. She graduated from Fowler High School. After graduating she moved to Lansing and worked as a dispatcher at Lawrence Bakery until her marriage to Gregor Thelen. Maybelle and Greg were married at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Fowler on October 17, 1951. They settled in Westphalia, raising their family, running a Phillip’s 66 gas station, and later owning and operating Thelen Hardware, both in Westphalia.

Maybelle was also an accomplished musician, most notably for her accordion skills, along with playing the organ, harmonica, and singing. She was a proud member of the St. Mary Choir for many years. She and Greg entertained countless numbers of people, all around the state of Michigan, with their gift of music.

After retirement, Maybelle and Greg were able to travel to multiple states and to Germany – where the two of them entertained their hosts and friends with their music and singing.

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Gregor, infant son, Baby Thelen; son, Todd; sister and brother-in-law, Celesta and Clem Koenigsknecht; infant brother and sister, Claude and Alice; father and mother-in-law, George and Anna Thelen; sisters and brothers-in-law, Eva and Alfred Simon, Alfred and Eleanor Thelen, Clara and Albert Knoop, Edmund and Lillian Thelen, and Otto and Rose Thelen. She is survived by six daughters, Ann (Jim) Dilley, Gerri (Jim) Ryan both of Portland, Wanda (Mike) Fedewa, Darlene (Tom) Miller, Brenda (Kevin) Halfman, all of Fowler, and Bethany (Andy) Herran of Lebanon, IL; 19 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and special family friend, Tim Fedewa.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Rev. Eric Weber at 10:30 a.m., Friday, September 27, 2019 at St. Mary Catholic Church, Westphalia. Rite of Committal will follow at St. Mary Catholic Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. and Thursday from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. with a rosary being prayed at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday evening at the St. Mary Funeral Chapel, 210 N. Westphalia St., Westphalia. Arrangements are entrusted to Lehman Funeral Homes. Online condolences may be made at www.lehmanfuneralhomes.com.

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