OBITUARY: Daniel Thiel

Daniel Thiel, age 85, of Hilbert. died on January 14, 2021, at Evergreen Retirement Community in Oshkosh.

He was born June 9, 1935, in St. John, son of the late Alfred and Hildegard (Coonen)Thiel. On June 6, 1959, he married Joanne Heimann at St. Mary Catholic Church in Chilton, and together they raised four children.

Daniel met Joanne while he was a bartender at the bowling alleys in Hilbert. It didn’t take long and they were engaged and married.

Daniel was a dairy farmer until his retirement at age 62. He lived on the farm 80 of his 85 years. No matter when he went to bed, he was up at 4:30 to do chores and start the day. He found time to be on the Calumet County board and was also the Town Chairman of Woodville for over 30 years. He was a member of St. John Sacred Heart Catholic Church. He was involved in the St John Catholic Men’s Club, a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus, and a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He also liked helping the guys at St Vinnie’s with pick ups and deliveries. He looked forward to reading the daily newspaper and even while he was in the hospital and nursing home, his family made sure that he received it daily. He especially appreciated the Sunday comics so he could see his favorite cartoon, Pickles.

Daniel was a likable man with a good sense of humor. He had a gruff, booming voice and enjoyed singing. He looked forward to a good round of Sheepshead or Skat, and in later years, Low Rummy. He was a member for the St John church choir for many years. He answered the phone with a big, “HELLO,” and often used the saying, “You Jack, you.” He was a big Wisconsin sports fan so the T.V. was always off-limits during Badgers, Brewers, Bucks, and Packers games. He went down to his “cabin,” a converted garage in the woods, everyday to read the paper. He also kept a detailed journal everyday for over 50 years until the time of his passing. He liked the bus trips to casinos so he could play the slots. He and Joanne loved going on scooter rides around Hilbert with their friends, Donny and Dorothy Richart.

Daniel is survived by his wife, Joanne; children: Diane (Gary) Hemauer, Donna Schwalenberg (Darrell Parsons), Gary (Marisa) Thiel, and Tom (Beckie) Thiel; 8 grandchildren: Kim (Eric) Rivas, Mitch Schwalenberg (Friend Mari Mathers), Kelsie (Mike Dallmann, Spenser (Megan) Thiel, Hallie (Mark) Londre, Hannah (Joel) Schroeder, Hayden (Emily) Thiel, Hattie (Preston) Schwalenberg; 11 great-grandchildren: Eyla & Kayden Rivas, Lillianna Dallmann, Garrett & Grace Londre, Jack & Atlee Schroeder, Graham Thiel, Everett & Ruby & Lettie Schwalenberg; siblings: Doris Stommell, Donald (Lois) Thiel, and Carol Kloeppel; in-laws: Beverly Lehrer, Arnold (Millie) Heimann, and Bonnie (Al) Schneider; and special friends: Donny and Dorothy Richart.

Daniel was preceded in death by his parents: Alfred and Hildegard Thiel; Joanne’s parents: Arnold and Erna Heimann; brothers: Arland Thiel and Marvin Thiel; and brothers-in-law: Roland Stommel, Roger Kloeppel, and James Lehrer.

A funeral service is set for 11:00am on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, at St. Mary Catholic Church (108 S. 6th St.) in Hilbert. Friends may call from 9:00am until 10:45am at the church on the day of service. A committal service will take place at St. John Catholic Cemetery in St. John immediately after the funeral service. The family requests that those attending please adhere to social distancing and mask requirements, as well as refrain from physical contact, and they appreciate your cooperation. A celebration of Daniel’s life will take place on June 6, 2021; please check the Wieting website for those details in the future.

Those who wish may watch a live stream of the service or view flowers given by following the links on wietingfuneralhome.com There will also be an archived video to be watched in the future.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in the name of Daniel Thiel.