Winnifred Thaisen

Winnifred Helen Overom Thaisen was born in Hibbing, MN to Helen (Levin) and Roy Overom on February 21, 1923. She moved on to Heaven 100 years and 1 month later on March 21, 2023.

Winnie lived a life of love, challenges, and determination. At age 5, she and her younger brother, Noble, lost their mother to TB and were raised by their maternal grandparents in Zim, MN. At age 11, she moved to Duluth MN to live with an aunt’s family. This shy country girl went from a one-room school to a huge junior high school and learned a life lesson of offering friendship - earns friendships.

At age 15 she was diagnosed with the same disease that took her mother, Pulmonary Tuberculosis. She spent the next 3.5 years in Nopeming Sanitorium and was not expected to see her 18th birthday. While in Nopeming, she graduated with honors and met her future husband, Bernard (Ben) Thaisen of Ely. After being mostly bed bound for three years, a new surgical intervention was tried and was successful. She was left with only one functional lung and was told to sing to strengthen her breathing.

A year later, she married Ben and the couple moved to Ely MN. Later, she became a nurse’s aide at the Ely Bloomenson Hospital. Five years later fulfilled a dream of becoming a nurse through a new two year program at the Hibbing College where she graduated with honors.

She had embraced the advice to “sing to breathe.” Fortunately, she had a beautiful voice and sang in her church choirs, at many weddings, funerals and community events and starred in theater musicals, where she is listed in their Hall of Fame. Winnie’s passion for veteran care led her to serve with the American legion Auxiliary for over 70 years. She also served as the secretary for the Brain Science Chair for the University of Minnesota.

Retirement found her returning to Duluth where she continued to share her love of living. She was featured in locally televised cooking shows and cook books, traveled to Europe and Scandinavian countries, and managed to complete all the sewing projects she thought of - including church banners and quilts for everyone in her family and a few gifts.

At the age of 99, she entered Afterno Living Center where she was comfortably cared for. She was preceded in death by her husband and brother.

Winnie is survived by her two children, Glenn (Darlene) Thaisen of Austin, MN and Carol (Raymond) Marolt of Ocala, FL, six grandchildren and 13 great grands.

Funeral services will be held at Elim Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN on July 11 at 10 a.m.

A graveside service will be in Ely at the Ely Cemetery on July 12 at 1 p.m.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home.

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