Thelma W. (Reid) Pahl

Thelma Winifred (Reid) Pahl, age 89, passed peacefully at Madelia Community Hospital on Monday, May 27, 2019.

​Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, June 3, 2019 at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Vernon Center.  Visitation will be from 2-5 p.m., Sunday at Mankato Mortuary and will continue one hour before service at the church on Monday.  Private family interment will be in Vernon Center Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church.

Thelma was born to Melvin & Winifred (Bird) Reid on February 15, 1930 at the farmhouse in Newcastle, Nebraska The family attended church at the Community Congregational Church.  Thelma attended Newcastle school until 1940, when their family moved to Minnesota. They eventually settled in Ceresco Township, Blue Earth County.  Thelma graduated from Garden City High School in 1947.​ ​ On June 22, 1952 Thelma married Lyle James Pahl at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Vernon Center.  They spent the first year of their marriage living and working on a ranch near Sterling, Colorado.  They then returned to farm the Pahl family farm.​ ​ Thelma enjoyed life to the fullest! She especially enjoyed fishing & ice fishing, in Canada and northern MN and hosting fish fry’s, auctions, refinishing antique furniture, oil painting, bowling, moral mushroom hunting, camping, reading, riding motorcycle, playing games and card games, especially poker. Since the 1980’s,  Lyle & Thelma spent time in the winter months in Mesa, AZ and after Lyle passed in 2010, Thelma continued to spend 6 months of the year at her AZ home, where she has many close friends. She will be long remembered by her family for all the wonderful meals she has provided for us and for her long-lived pet, Pumpkin.​ ​

Thelma is survived by her five children,  David (Sheila) Pahl of Amboy, Brenda (Rodney) Gens of rural Madelia, Pauline (Dean) Duffey of rural Lake Crystal, James (Peggy) Pahl of rural Vernon Center, Lisa (Paul) Graham of New Prague; 11 grandchildren, Darrin (Lindsay) Gens, Matt (Lacy Wellman) Gens, Andrew (Danielle) Duffey, Melissa (Cole) Nelson, Alex Duffey, Adam (Amber) Pahl, Jason (Kara) Pahl, Jake (Alyse Waibel) Pahl, Sarah (Matt) Smith, Erica (Adam) Wosmek, Jesse Graham; 16 great grandchildren, Weston & Logan Gens, Emily, Owen, & Sibley Duffey, Maria, Mason, & Zoey Nelson, Grace & Jackson Pahl, Bayleigh & Levi Pahl, McKenzie Waibel, Ashton, Noah, & Emma Smith; brother, Earl Reid; sister-in-law, Nancy Reid; and many nieces & nephews and close friends, both in MN and AZ.​ ​ ​

Thelma was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Lyle Pahl; great-grandson, Blake Duffey; sister, Lyla (James) Krenik; brother, John Reid; sister-in-law, Shirley Reid.​ ​

Thelma has left us with broken hearts and joyful tears, loving memories, beautiful smiles, many jokes and laughs, satisfied stomachs, warm hearts, beautiful oil paintings and a lifetime of stories. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren will always cherish their memories of the farm. She taught us how to be strong and resilient and has left many disgruntled poker opponents at the table!