John Linder Thro

Mankato businessman John Linder Thro, age 97, passed away peacefully Saturday, July 31, 2010 at Laurels Edge Assisted Living in Mankato. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, August 5, 2010 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Marysburg, with Rev. Ted Hottinger, S.J. officiating. Burial will be in Glenwood Cemetery in Mankato. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday at Mankato Mortuary and continues one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the donor's choice.

Mr. Thro was born in Mankato on December 12, 1912 to Clifford and Cora (Linder) Thro. He attended Mankato High School and went on to the University of Notre Dame, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy on June 7, 1936. Upon graduating from college, he enlisted in United States Navy Air Corps. Mr. Thro served in the Navy as a flight instructor during World War II earning the rank of Lieutenant. He married Mildred Florence Gumo of Mankato in 1940. Following the war, Mr. Thro returned to Mankato and took over the family business, Thro Drug Store. Over the years, he grew Thro's Drugstore's to five locations locally, and had additional stores in Truman, Minnesota and LaCrosse, Wisconsin. In the 1960's, Mr. Thro began his ownership of nursing homes with the purchase of Oaklawn and Mankato House (now Laurels Peak Rehabilitation Center) in Mankato. He sold his drugstores in the early 1970's and became involved with his nursing homes and real estate. During the 1970's and early 1980's, he purchased nursing homes in Lake Crystal, Mankato, New Prague and St. Paul. Mr. Thro developed real estate in and around Mankato, developing property on both Mankato and North Mankato hilltops during the 1970's. Mr. Thro purchased Quality Extrusions, a plastic extrusion business in Mankato in 1988. In recent years he was involved in The Thro Company's development of assisted living facilities in Mankato, Lake Crystal and New Prague.

Mr. Thro was an active breeder and owner of trotting horses. Horses were a passion that was passed on to him by his father at an early age. His love of horses evolved into his being an extremely knowledgeable horseman. He experienced unprecedented success in the trotting horse field, winning the most prestigious trotting horse race in the United States, the Hambeltonian: as the breeder of the 1970 Hambeltonian winner; and breeder and owner of the horses that won the 1973 Hambletonian and the 1974 Hambletonian Oaks. In his later years Mr. Thro's interest turned to farmland he owned in South Dakota. He loved to spend time at his farm in South Dakota developing pheasant habitat, minding the crops and enjoying the outdoors.

Mr. Thro is survived by two sons, Timothy (Laurie) Thro of North Mankato and Christopher Thro of Mankato; two daughters, Gretchen (Joseph) O'Donnell of Buffalo, NY and Karen (Charlie) Rokicki of Monarch Beach, CA; longtime companion, Carol Rodvik of Mankato; six grandchildren, Alek and Jenna Thro, Chelsea and Timothy O'Donnell, and Landon and Anders Thro; one sister, Katherine (Charles) Frost of North Mankato; also nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Jean Frentz.