Funeral services for Thelma Amanda Bighley will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Bonnerup Funeral Service. The Rev. Gail Klavetter and the Rev. Jeff Laeger-Hagemeister will officiate. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in the Greenwood Cemetery, Glenville.
Thelma was born on Nov. 10, 1909, in Morris, Ill., to Thor and Rachel (Severson) Thorson. Her family moved to a farm south of Albert Lea when Thelma was 7 years old. Thelma married Delevan Bighley on June 10, 1931, and they farmed southeast of Glenville for many years.
Special thanks to Janelle Thorson for her faithful visits to Thelma during her three-year stay at St John's Lutheran Home. Also a thank you to all the staff at St John's for their loving care of Thelma and support given to the family. Special thanks to Pastor Jeff, chaplain at St John's, who provided comfort and communion to Thelma and her family on her last morning with us.
Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Lyle and Sharon Bighley of Olathe, Kan., Charlotte (Mahlon) Burkhard of Charles Town, West Virginia who, with her son and daughter-in-law Ron and Kathy Burkhard of Fond-du-Lac, Wis., came to celebrate many birthdays with Thelma — and now come to celebrate her life; Joyce (Dennis) Lee of Albert Lea, Kenneth (Janelle) Thorson of Glenville, Marge (Marvin) Gilbertson of Glenville, Bonnie (Jason) Cramer of Webster City, Iowa, Peggy Johnson of Minneapolis, Bonnie Williamson of New Richmond, Wis., Tom Williamson of Albert Lea, and Geral Davidson of Chula Vista, Calif.
Thelma was preceded in death by her parents, husband Delevan, granddaughter Beth Bighley Tillotson, sisters Anna (Arnold) Kycek, Cora (Cecil) Williamson, and Brother Oscar (Esther) Thorson.
Thelma was a member of the First Lutheran Church of Glenville for 90 years.
Thelma was a lovely lady with a great sense of humor and an ability to take life as it came and accept it graciously.
She will be missed.