Arlene Burnette Thorson Kroneman Tesch, 89, went to her heavenly home April 8, 2015, at Good Samaritan Society in St. Ansgar, Iowa.

Arlene was born Sept. 14, 1925, to Clifford and Marie Mehus Thorson in Otranto Township, Mitchell County, Iowa. At a very young age she and her family moved across the river to Newburg Township. She grew up there and graduated from Carpenter High School in the class of 1943. She was baptized as an infant in The First Lutheran Church in St. Ansgar, Iowa, and confirmed in the same church in May 4, 1941, in a class of 17 confirmands. Rev. Olaf A Langehough officiated.

On Feb. 11, 1945, Arlene married Harvey Paul Kroneman at the First Lutheran Church. Elmer Kroneman and Lucille Mackin were their attendants. Rev. Olaf A. Langehough officiated.

Harvey was a farmer so he and Arlene farmed a few different places before settling on the farm in Otranto Township where she was born. At the time they moved there, the farm had been in the Mehus family for three generations.

Harvey became ill with cancer in 1963, and passed away Nov. 10, 1966. Harvey and Arlene were blessed with two children, Darrell Allan Kroneman and Shirley Jean Kroneman. As a family, they enjoyed church activities, farming, and spending time with extended family, especially on Sunday nights while watching color television at Elmer and Herb Kroneman’s respective homes.

Following her husband’s death, Arlene built a house in St. Ansgar in 1968. Arlene was employed as a bookkeeper at the St. Ansgar Lumber Company for 25 years and retired in 2014 as the bookkeeper for the Senior Saints Center in St. Ansgar.

She was active member of the First Lutheran Church and church women’s organizations all of her life. She was a member of the former WaTanYe club and the music mothers of the St. Ansgar Schools.

April 16, 1977, Arlene married Rudolph Tesch at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. Arlene and Rudy made their home in St. Ansgar. They celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary together with a large community celebration in Carpenter. Arlene and Rudy would be celebrating their 38th wedding anniversary next week.

Some of Arlene’s favorite past times were cross stitching dish towels that were always fought over every year at Christmas during the women’s gift exchange. She attended bible studies, volunteering at the Good Samaritan Society, quilting, playing cards every Thursday with her friends, making cookies with her granddaughter Sydney, polka dancing with her husband, as well as traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.

Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Rudy; her sister, Delores Feldt; brother-in-laws, Elmer (Alice) Kroneman, Robert Rustad; son Darrell (Sherry) Kroneman; their children: Paul (Tasha) Kroneman, Tim (Heather) Kroneman, Nicole (Steve) Shlaak; her daughter Shirley Crippen; and granddaughter Sydney (Fiancé Jordan Petersen) Crippen; and 10 great-grandchildren; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins; her step-children: Nancy (Jim) Bell, Kathy (Norm) Johnson, Duane Tesch, Ramona (Doug) Bleeker, Lori (Roger) Johnson, and Brenda (Jim) Smith; 16 step-grandchildren; 22 step-great grandchildren.

Preceding her in death were her parents, Clifford and Marie Thorson; mother- and father-in-law, Ida and Paul Kroneman; her sister, Anita Rustad; her husband Harvey Kroneman; brother in-laws: Barney Feldt, Herbert (Gertrude) Kroneman, Lloyd (Ruth) Kroneman; step-grandson Greg Johnson; and step-granddaughter Hailey Smith.

Arlene was a faithful, kind and loving mother, grandmother and friend, and will be missed by all who knew her. Blessed be her memory.

Funeral service will be on Saturday, April 11, 2015, at 10 a.m. at the First Lutheran Church, St. Ansgar with the Rev. Paul Weeg and the Rev. Lance Kittleson officiating. Burial will be in the First Lutheran Cemetery, St. Ansgar. Visitation will be on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Schroeder & Sites Funeral Home, St. Ansgar, and one hour prior to service at the church.