James L. Thiewes

James Leonard Thiewes, age 85 from Mankato died on March 28, 2011 at The Lutheran Home in Belle Plaine. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. on Friday, April 1, 2011 at Our Lady of the Prairie Catholic Church in Belle Plaine. Visitation will be one hour prior to the Mass at church on Friday. Interment will be in the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Mankato. Jim was born on August 25, 1925 to Joseph and Julia (Maher) Thiewes in Waseca, Minnesota where he grew up and attended Sacred Heart High School. Jim served in the U.S. Navy and is a Veteran of World War II and Korea. He is a member of the Mankato VFW Post 950 and American Legion Post 11. After returning home from military service, he went to work in Waseca for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad where his father Joseph was employed as a locomotive engineer. Jim spent 30 years with the railroad also as a locomotive engineer working out of Waseca, Mankato and Tracy. For those of you who knew Jim well, he always loved going to "the library". He always appreciated the fine care given to him from The Lutheran Home nurses, nursing assistants, physical therapy staff and other support staff. Jim was preceded in death by his wife Mary, parents Joseph and Julia and brothers, John, George, Dick and Joseph. Jim is survived by his sons Tom of Circle Pines, Jim of Belle Plaine, his two sisters Julia Fischer (Clayton) of Waseca, Rosemary Janson of Denver, CO, and by his three grandchildren, Jim (Carla), Stephanie (Doug) and Tina, three great grandchildren, David, John and Nikolys, many nieces and nephews, other family members and friends.