dec. 17, 1932-Jan. 29, 2023
JORDAN — A Celebration of Life Service for Georgina “Georgie” Thynes, 90, of Jordan, formerly of Storden, will be 11 am Friday, Feb. 3, at the Bethany Lutheran Church in Storden, with Pastor Jennifer Bennet officiating. Burial will be at the church cemetery. A time of visitation and gathering will be from 10-11 am Friday at Bethany Lutheran Church in Storden. The service will be livestreamed on the Bethany Lutheran Church Facebook page.
Arrangements are under the care of the LaCanne Family Celebration of Life Center in Window.
Georgina Blanche (Azzopardi) Thynes was born Dec. 17, 1932, on the beautiful island of Malta, in the Mediterranean Sea. She grew up swimming in gorgeous turquoise waters and running on the beaches.
She was baptized at St. Gregory’s Church in Silema, Malta and attended St. Joseph’s school in her neighborhood. Upon completion of her education she helped to care for her younger sister, and was employed as a telephone operator at the local hospital. Soon thereafter she was talking into going on a blind date with a young sailor who was stationed on the island for the United States Navy. On Aug. 22, 1952, she married the sailor, LaVae Thynes, they were married for 57 years.
When LaVae’s tour of duty ended, this young couple moved to a farm near Storden, where LaVae farmed and Georgie became a farmer’s wife, a life much different than she had experienced before. She embraced this lifestyle and learned how to raise chickens, pigs and dairy cows. She learned to butcher animals, have a large garden, bake, cook a lot of “Minnesota” foods, and deliver meals to the hungry farmers in the fields. Along with all this work, she raised four healthy children, Richard, JoAnn, Lynn and Mary. Georgie also worked for a short time at Campbell Soup in Worthington. In 1967 LaVae and Georgie moved into town and LaVae started a new career, along with purchasing a family grocery store. It was a family affair, and everyone was expected to help, from stocking shelves, carrying groceries, and just enjoying catching up on the lives of their customers. Georgie just loved this part of her life.
Georgie was always known as such a gracious hostess. She constantly had a pot of coffee brewing ready to offer a cup to anyone who stopped by, and she always took time to sit down and visit with them. She took those hostess skills to Bethany Church, where she was a long-time member, and lent a helping hand making food for funerals, attending Ladies Aid, making pies and knitting adorable baby booties for the church’s annual bazaar. She helped out with the American Cancer Society, The Storden Legion Auxiliary and Bethany Ladies Aid.
Georgie and LaVae truly loved their children and grandchildren. It was always such a delight to them when any of their family came to visit. Her kitchen was stocked with their favorite treats, and she was always ready to serve them selflessly. After LaVae’s passing, Georgie decided to make a move to Oak Terrace Senior Living in Jordan. She embraced her move and quickly made lots of new friends, enjoyed lots of adventures and time with family. She loved the staff at Oak Terrace, they were always so good to her. Just a few short weeks ago she enjoyed celebrating her 90th birthday.
Georgie’s health most recently started to decline, and she passed away peacefully at Oak Terrace surrounded by her family on Sunday, Jan. 29. She will be dearly missed.
Georgie is survived by her children, Richard (Dianne) Thynes of Willmar, JoAnn (Kent) Wolf of Jordan, Lynn (John) Nelson of Eau Claire, WI, Mary (John) Fischer of Marshall; grandchildren, Trisha (Barry) Hentges, Emily (Mark) Pahl, Jacob (Kristyn) Wolf, Amanda (Ben) Wetzell, Dustin (Ashleigh) Nelson, Molly (David) Campbell, Sam (Andrea) Nelson, Thomas (Ellie) Fischer, Isaac Fischer, and Claire Fischer; 17 great-grandchildren; sisters, Yolanda Jackson of London, England, Emilee Contini of Sydney, Australia, Marisa (Alphonse) Pace of Silema, Malta; and many other relatives and friends.
Georgie was preceded in death by her husband, LaVae Donn Thynes; parents, Richard and Mary (Gauchemester) Azzopardi; parents-in-law, Engel and Mabel Thynes; brothers-in-law, John Jackson, Arthur Contini, Merlyon Thynes; and sister-in-law, Jeanette Thynes.
Blessed be the memory of Georgina Blanche Thynes.