Mildred May (Thonesen) Wille, 95, of Sparta passed away peacefully at her home Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015.
Mildred was born Dec. 27, 1919, to Christen and Christina (Petersen) Thonesen on a farm near Kendall. She was the third oldest of eight children.
Mildred married Harold F. Wille on May 15, 1942, at Lancaster, Mo., and they resided in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After Harold was discharged from the Marines at the end of World War II, they moved to Wisconsin. Two children blessed their home, LaVonne Marie and Joyce Kay.
Mildred joined Calvary Baptist Church in Sparta in November 2005, when she moved from La Crosse to the Sparta area. Mildred accepted Christ as her personal Savior in September 1969, repenting of her sins (Hebrews 13:5). She had a blessed hope of heaven (I John 5:12-13).
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Harold; one brother, Walter Thonesen; and two sisters, Dora Thonesen and Alma Buchal.
Mildred is survived by her two daughters, LaVonne Marie (William) Balmer of Sparta and Joyce Kay (Blake) Armson of Poynette, Wis.; her grandchildren, Stacey (Christopher) Gorman of Pardeeville, Wis., Paul (Cara) Balmer of Holmen, Wis., and Cristina Balmer of Rockland, Wis.; her great-grandchildren, Cassidy, Joshua and Jessica Gorman, Orland, Laura, Mandie, Judah and Ethne Huber, Glenn and Callie Balmer; two sisters, Ada Johnson of Yerington, Nev., and Esther (Adolph) Vlasak of Elroy; two brothers, Harry (Joyce) Thonesen of Kendall and Earl (Alice) Thonesen of Bedford, Texas; along with many other relatives and dear friends.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2, at Calvary Baptist Church in Sparta. Pastor Jeremiah Cochran will officiate. Burial will at a later date in the Sunset Memorial Cemetery in Madison.
Family and friends are invited for visitation from 4–7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Torkelson Page-Smith Funeral Home in Sparta. Visitation will also be held Friday from 10 a.m. until the time of service at the church. Online condolences may be offered at www.torkelsonfuneralhome.com.
