Full Obituary

     ETHELYN FURMAN THEISEN, age 97, of Loyal, WI, died at home on Wednesday, June 22, 2016.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11AM on Monday, July 18, 2016 at St. Anthony Catholic Church, in Loyal.  The Reverend Steven Brice and Fr. Meinrad Dindorf, OSB will concelebrate.  Burial will follow in St. Anthony Catholic Cemetery.  Pallbearers will be her grandchildren.  Visitation will be held at  Cuddie Funeral Home, in Loyal, on Sunday, July 17, 2016 from 4PM to 7PM, and again on Monday, at the church, from 10am until time of service. 
     Ethelyn was born on March 10, 1919, in Larsen, WI, the third child of William P. and Ethel (McDermott) Furman.  After graduating from Oshkosh High School, Ethelyn attended and graduated from Oshkosh State Teacher’s College (now the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh) in 1939.  While a student, she held various offices in Gamma Sigma Sorority and participated in intramural basketball.  She later received advanced degrees in reading education from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point.
     Ethelyn married William A. Theisen on August 16, 1941, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Winneconne, WI.  They lived in Menasha, WI, from 1941 to 1946, and moved to Loyal, WI, in 1946.  Ethelyn was a teacher all of her life.  Following college graduation she taught 5^th and 6^th grades in Weyauwega, WI.  After raising and teaching her own children, Ethelyn returned to the classroom in 1966 and taught reading for 17 years at the Loyal Elementary School. 
     After retiring, Ethelyn and Bill traveled extensively in the US and throughout the world, and spent time in Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Switzerland, Denmark, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and China.  Visiting family and friends was an important part of their retirement years, and Ethelyn continued travelling after Bill’s death.
     An avid knitter, Ethelyn was rarely without a project in hand.  Many are warmed by the scarves and felted socks she knit, and cushioned by her felted pillows.  She will be dearly missed by those who relied upon her memory of people and dates, for her listening ear, and her wise counsel on house, health and other issues.
     Ethelyn was a member of St. Anthony’s Altar Society and held various offices through the years.  She was also a member of St. Anthony’s choir while her husband was the  choir director.  Ethelyn was a charter member of the Clark County Live and Learn Homemakers, an organization focused on home and community through education and volunteer activities.  She dedicated many hours to the organization since its founding in 1955. 
     Ethelyn will be dearly missed by her six children: Mary Theisen, Cynthia (Art) Smith, John Theisen, Kathleen (Willy Schmidt) Theisen, Marjorie (Bill) Blubaugh and Clarice Theisen;  eleven grandchildren: John, Tristane (Vieux), Joshua, Nathanael (Rima), Aaron (Mary), Rachel, Walter, Jack, Sam (Amanda), David (Callie), Clare (Carl);  six great grandchildren: Slater, Piper, Liam, Simon, Matilda and Tennyson;  one daughter-in-law: Maria Theisen;  and one sister: Janice (Furman) Kunz of Kaukauna, WI.
     Ethelyn and Bill had two foreign-exchange daughters, Luzia and Lilian Bodini of Brazil, who remained a part of their family long after leaving Loyal.
     She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, William, on August 7, 2005; one son, Phillip, on December 30, 2015; and two siblings, Phyllis (Furman) Brown, and Lyle Furman. 
     In lieu of flowers, Ethelyn requested that memorial contributions be made to a charity or organization of your choosing.