Melinda L Thielges

Melinda Lucille Thielges, age 50 of Mankato, died Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at her home from ovarian cancer.

Funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, August 23, 2008 at St. John's Episcopal Church in Mankato. Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Friday at Mankato Mortuary with a 7 p.m. prayer service. Memorials are preferred to VINE, Living at Home Block Nurse Program, ISJ Hospice, Social Work Scholarship Fund in Memory of Mindy Hawkins Thielges at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Mindy was born on November 13, 1957 in Geneva, Illinois to Paul and Louise (Penrod) Moldstad. The family moved to Mankato in 1961. Mindy attended Mt. Olive Lutheran School, Franklin Jr. High School, and graduated from Mankato East High School in 1976. She was manager of the Dispatch Department at the Mankato Free Press before attending college. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS degree in social work from Mankato State University in 1985 and was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. She was later honored as Social Work Alumna of the Year in 2006 by that institution. She was employed by Lake Shore Inn Nursing Home, Waseca, Grandview Care Center, St. Peter, Thro Company Health Care Centers, and was the Social Services Director at the Lake Crystal Health Care Center.

She was involved with numerous organizations within the Mankato area including: The Living at Home Block Nurse Program, VINE, Region 9 Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council, ISJ Hospice, Regional Continuing Health Care Education Center, Senior Provider Network, Minnesota Nursing Home Social Workers' Association, Senior Agenda for Independent Living, Mankato City Charter Commission, Blue Earth County Community Health Task Force, Region Nine End of Life Task Force, Mankato Alzheimer's Association, and the Thro Company Ethics Committee.

Mindy married her partner and true love, Mitch Thielges on June 3, 2006 in a ceremony attended by family and friends amongst the grapevines in their backyard. Mitch and Mindy enjoyed numerous activities together including: winemaking, gardening, and canning vegetables, motorcycling, boating, camping and canoeing, playing games " especially Roly Boly, snowmobiling, and entertaining family and friends. Mitch often described their relationship as "we're two peas in a pod".

Mindy is survived by her husband, Mitch Thielges of Mankato; her mother, Louise Penrod (Gilbert Nickels) of Elburn, IL; a step-daughter and her husband, Tracy and Frankie Culbertson of Wilmington, NC, a step-son, Ryan Thielges of Bloomington; a brother, Tom Shrader of Mankato; nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father, Paul Moldstad; father-in-law, Willis Thielges of Mankato; her sister, Debra Olinger of Mankato; and her sister-in-law, Darlene Shrader of Mankato.