Marlan 'Bud' Theilen, 87
Marlan “Bud” Theilen, age 87 of Nashua, died Friday, Nov. 15, 2019, at the 11th Street Chautauqua Guest Home in Charles City.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, November 22, 2019 at St. Michael Catholic Church in Nashua.
Interment will follow at St. Michael’s Catholic Cemetery in Nashua.
Friends may greet the family from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, at Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory/Olson Chapel in Nashua where there will be a 6:30 p.m. Parish Scripture Service. Visitation continues an hour prior to the mass on Friday at the funeral home. Online condolences for Bud’s family may be left at hugebackfuneralhome.com .
Marlan “Bud” Henry Theilen was born Sept. 25, 1932, by Cartersville at his grandparents’ house, the son of Henry Albert and Julia Hortensia (McLaughlin) Theilen. Bud was the second of 14 children.
His family lived in Mason City where Bud attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School until second grade.
His dad had health issues and that meant a change of job, so they decided to go into farming where they farmed near Riceville, then by Colwell. Bud started attending the eighth grade at Colwell High School and graduated in 1951 from the school in 1951.
It was at Colwell High School where Bud met the love of his life, Janice Elaine Coen. The couple went on their first date when Bud was dared to ask Janice out. Janice always turned boys down when she was asked out but there was something different about Bud so the couple went out and fell in love. They were married on Dec. 13, 1952, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. To this union, seven children were born.
When Bud and Jan were first married, they lived in Clear Lake, where Bud worked at the Brick and Tile. Bud then worked road construction and they lived several different places Clear Lake, Algona and Mason City before he and his wife decided to go into farming together in 1957.
Bud worked several jobs to support his family, including hauling milk, both bulk and can milk, dug graves and other jobs.
Bud loved his John Deere tractors. He was Mr. Fix it – there wasn’t an appliance or John Deere tractor Bud couldn’t fix. Bud and Jan farmed in the Nashua and Plainfield areas for 38 years as a team.
In 1995, they retired from farming and moved into Nashua. Bud worked for the Nashua Co-op for a couple of years before retiring for good.
Bud loved the outdoors, a nice green lawn, and especially his garden. Always the farmer, he loved making things grow.
Bud loved working in his garage and kept it neat and tidy. Bud’s garage rules were – “If you used a tool, when you were done, you wiped it off, and put it back where you found it.” He did not like tools lying on his workbench.
Bud enjoyed playing basketball, board games and cards with his children. He loved baseball and was a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan.
Bud enjoyed different church activities, especially working in the kitchen for the Big Four Fair in Nashua. He ran the meat slicer and was the fair stand “runner” – taking food from the church hall to the fair stand.
Bud also always loved spending time with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He will be missed by many.
Bud’s memory is cherished by his six children, Pamela (Thomas) Traxel of Springfield, Illinois, Susan Thompson of Nashua, Jeffery Theilen of Nashua, Mary (Bryan) Junker of Greene, Linda (Dale) Kovarik of Goshen, Indiana, and Karen (Stephen) Koupal of Waverly, IA; 14 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; one son-in-law, Ray (Ayten) Harris of Concord, California; one brother-in-law, Ivan Johannaber of Hunstville, Missouri; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Janice on Oct. 27, 2019; one daughter, Cynthia Harris; five brothers, Donald Theilen, William Theilen, Harold (Judy) Theilen, Ted (Patricia) Theilen, and Henry Theilen; brother-in-law Kenneth Lubbert; and sister-in-law Joyce Theilen.
