ELISABETH THIELE

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ELISABETH THIELE After a long and eventful life, Elisabeth Thiele passed away peacefully at the Bethania Personal Care Home on Good Friday, March 25, 2016, she was 97 years old. She is survived by her daughter Liane Thiele-Blumenthal (with husband P.J. Blumenthal), her son Rudolf (Rudi) Thiele (with wife Petra Finne-Thiele) and two grandsons Uriel and Jonah Blumenthal. Born in Berlin August 20, 1918, Elisabeth lived in this city with her parents, Viktor and Elisabetha (née Mayer) Holzschuh, and her sister Ruth. After finishing school, she struck out on her own, settling in nearby Potsdam, Germany and working there as a secretary. During the Second World War, she was bombed out of her apartment and became - like so many other women - a so-called "Trümmerfrau", helping to clean up the debris of destroyed buildings. She eventually made her way to the western part of Germany, living and working in Düsseldorf in the early 1950s. There she met her late husband Rudolf Thiele (deceased 1996) who had just joined the foreign office. After their wedding in 1954, Elisabeth embarked on the life of a diplomat's wife, living in countries such as Iraq, Morocco and Pakistan and visiting many more. She found this nomadic life exciting and enjoyable. In 1973 she arrived in Winnipeg, where her husband had been posted as German Consul. They both loved Winnipeg, the blue skies of Manitoba and especially the cold winters. They decided to make Winnipeg their permanent home and retire here. Besides her passion for bridge, Elisabeth loved flowers and the outdoors, having a great need for "fresh air", as she put it. In her boundless energy, she pursued her favorite sports, tennis and swimming in the summer, ice skating and cross-country skiing in the winter - right into her late eighties. In addition, she was always very proud of her abilities as a seamstress. She tailored most of her dresses herself, including her evening gowns. The family would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff of the Bethania PCH for all the loving care and concern extended to her. Cremation has taken place already. The memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, April 22, at Neil Bardal Funeral Centre, 3030 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg. NEIL BARDAL FUNERAL CENTRE 204-949-2200 neilbardalinc.com
Publish Date: Apr 16, 2016

ELISABETH THIELE After a long and eventful life, Elisabeth Thiele passed away peacefully at the Bethania Personal Care Home on Good Friday, March 25, 2016. She was 97 years old. She is survived by her daughter Liane Thiele-Blumenthal (with husband P.J. Blumenthal), her son Rudolf (Rudi) Thiele (with wife Petra Finne-Thiele) and two grandsons Uriel and Jonah Blumenthal. Born in Berlin August 20, 1918, Elisabeth lived in this city with her parents, Viktor and Elisabetha (née Mayer) Holzschuh, and her sister Ruth. After finishing school, she struck out on her own, settling in nearby Potsdam, Germany and working there as a secretary. During the Second World War, she was bombed out of her apartment and became - like so many other women - a so-called "Trümmerfrau", helping to clean up the debris of destroyed buildings. She eventually made her way to the western part of Germany, living and working in Düsseldorf in the early 1950s. There she met her late husband Rudolf Thiele (d. 1996) who had just joined the foreign office. After their wedding in 1954, Elisabeth embarked on the life of a diplomat's wife, living in countries such as Iraq, Morocco and Pakistan and visiting many more. She found this nomadic life exciting and enjoyable. In 1973 she arrived in Winnipeg, where her husband had been posted as German Consul. They both loved Winnipeg, the blue skies of Manitoba and especially the cold winters. They decided to make Winnipeg their permanent home and retire here. Besides her passion for bridge, Elisabeth loved flowers and the outdoors, having a great need for "fresh air", as she put it. In her boundless energy, she pursued her favorite sports, tennis and swimming in the summer, ice skating and cross-country skiing in the winter - right into her late eighties. In addition, she was always very proud of her abilities as a seamstress. She tailored most of her dresses herself, including her evening gowns. The family would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff of the Bethania PCH for all the loving care and concern extended to her. Cremation has taken place already. A memorial service will be held at a later time.
Publish Date: Apr 2, 2016

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 16, 2016