Lawrence Thielen

Lawrence J. Thielen, 93,

Mandan, passed away on

Thursday, January 16,

2020. Funeral services

will be held at 11:00 a.m.

Monday, Jan. 27, at

McCabe United Methodist

Church, 1030 N 6th St,

Bismarck. Visitation will

be held one hour prior to

the service.

Burial will be held at

2:00 p.m. Monday, Jan.

27, at the ND Veterans

Cemetery, Mandan.

Lawrence was born on

April 18, 1926 to Joseph

and Gertrude (Martin)

Thielen at his

grandparents, Alex and

Dorothy Martin’s home in

Clyde, ND. He attended

Clyde school and graduat-ed in 1944. Lawrence gra-

duated from Minot State

University and did gradu-

ate work at Washington

State University and the

University of Colorado.

His teaching position was

in rural school in Trier

Township, ND, and later

taught at Clyde and

Mohall before being draft-

ed into the Army in 1951.

He was stationed in An-

chorage, AK, and was

discharged in 1953. He

taught for several years at

Cavalier, Hillsboro, and

Williston before moving

to Mandan where he

taught at Mandan Jr. High

until his retirement in

1990 after 46 years as

teacher and an adminis-

trator in the North Dakota

school system. His friends

and students were like

family, and the education

of his students was of the

highest priority to him.

He was a gifted musi-

cian and loved playing the

piano and organ.

Lawrence was a member

of the McCabe United

Methodist Church in

Bismarck, a member of

the golden Kiwanis, and

belonged to several frater-

nal groups.

He is survived by: two

nieces, Virginia (Doug –

deceased) Doescher, Au-

burn, WA; Leslie

(Vaughn) Thorstad, Fargo;

two great-nephews, Grant

and Brandon Doescher,

Auburn, WA; three

great-nieces, Lindsey

Thorstad, Fargo; Marissa

Thorstad (daughter Elaina

and sons Silas and

Kasen), Fargo; and Taryn

Thorstad, Jacksonville,

FL.

Lawrence was preced-

ed in death by: his

parents; sister, Muriel,

and brother-in-law, Ro-

man Michels; and sister,

Joellyn and

brother-in-law, James Ber-

nardy.

To share memories of

Lawrence and to sign the

online guestbook, go to

www.eastgatefuneral.com.