James M. Thelen

James Michael Thelen was born November 1, 1960, at Carroll, Iowa, the son of Norman and Marleen Thelen. He passed away Monday, July 9, 2018, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, at the age of fifty-seven.
Jim was a 1979 graduate of Kuemper High School in Carroll, Iowa, and attended electrical school at Western Iowa Tech in Mapleton, Iowa. Following high school, he was employed by V & M Electric doing residential electrical work. Jim was then employed at Farmland in the maintenance department until the spring of 2005, when he began his employment with the local natural gas company until 2016 when he retired.
On October 15, 1994, Jim was united in marriage to Alanna Schultz at St. Ann Catholic Church in Vail, Iowa, by Father Raemaker. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and taught CCD for many years at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Denison, Iowa.
His favorite pastimes included hunting and fishing, until his health declined, gardening, woodworking, refinishing and custom work on homes. He enjoyed traveling which included fishing with his father-in-law in the Gulf Coast, family vacations to Colorado, Orlando, Florida, Black Hills, Tennessee, Lake of the Ozarks, and several Caribbean Cruises. Watching Columbo, westerns, Andy Griffith and old 60's shows on television provided him many hours of entertainment. His grandchildren, nieces and nephews were very fond of him and they had a special place in his heart.
Jim was preceded in death by his grandparents, parents, father-in-law, Wayne Schultz, and stepsister-in-law, Marla McKee. Survivors include: his wife, Alanna; two sons, Tanner, and Brandon and his wife, Laurie; two grandchildren, Kaydon and Leeton; three brothers: Joseph and his wife, Cherith; Thomas and his wife, Pamela; and Jeffrey; one sister, Julie and her husband, David; mother-in-law, Arliss; two sisters-in-law, Melanie and her husband, Bob, and Natalie; brother-in-law, Jeff and his wife, Kris; stepmother-in-law, Betty; stepbrothers-in-law: Mike, Dave and his wife, Pam; and Steve and his wife, Karen; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.