Louis A. Thurs

Louis Albert August Thurs, 95, passed peacefully into heaven on Sunday, Sept. 6, with Julia, his devoted wife of 72 years, & his family by his side. He was under the care of Aspirus Comfort Care & Hospice Services. Born to Andreas & Bertha (Henke) Thurs on July 11, 1914, Louis grew up in Little Chicago. At 17, Louis won the heart of Julianna Radke at a dance hall in Little Chicago. On Oct. 17, 1936, he married Julia at Trinity Lutheran Church, Stettin. Their first 33 years of marriage, they lived in the Little Chicago area, raising their children Sharon & Bruce. Louis then built a home in Stettin, where they lived together until last year, when they moved to Wellington Place, Rib Mountain. For 72 years, Louie & Julie were inseparable. Louis owned & worked at the Thurs Box Company with his brothers for 20 years & then worked at Marathon Box for another 20 years. He was no stranger to work, rarely taking a vacation day in his long working career. In his early years, Louie enjoyed making maple syrup & socializing at his family's big BBQs & birthday parties, which went on till the wee hours of the morning. Church was very important to Louis. He & his family attended every Sunday, & he volunteered with numerous church building projects. For more than 20 years, Louis was the caretaker of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, where he will be laid to rest. Louie loved to play Sheephead, good-naturedly pounding the table & shouting, "By de gosh" when the cards didn't fall his way. More days than not, Louis could be found working in the garage or tending their garden. Summers, Louie & Julie headed to the ball diamonds. Those who drove along Hwy O could often see the pair sitting with their dog in the driveway listening to the Brewers on the radio. Louis is survived by his loving wife, Julia; his daughter, Sharon Ohde; his son, Bruce (wife, Katherine); 4 grandchildren: Mike Ohde, Lisa Kaminski (husband, Tom), Chad Thurs (wife, Sarah), & Brandon Thurs; & 5 great-grandchildren: Mitchell, Kelly, & Nicole Kaminski & Julianna & True Louis Thurs; as well as nieces, nephews, other family members, & friends. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by 7 brothers: Elmer, Gustuv, Rudy, Bernard, Henry, William, & Lawrence, as well as his son-in-law, Merlin Ohde, who lived next door & was always there to lend a hand. The family wishes to thank Dr. Rick Reding & his staff, the nurses & staff at Wellington Place, & Aspirus Comfort Care & Hospice Services for the outstanding care they gave to Louis to make him comfortable. Services will be held Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009, at Zion Lutheran Church, 2214 Hwy 107, Marathon. Visitation will be from 9-11 a.m., followed by the service. Pastor Terry Reich will officiate. Burial will be at Zion Lutheran Cemetery. Peterson Kraemer Funeral Home, 3400 Stewart Avenue, Wausau, is assisting the family with arrangements. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Louie's name. Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com