Ronald L. Thein
Ronald Lee Thein, 73, of Guttenberg died Sunday, May 29, 2022.
Visitation and memorial services were held Saturday, June 4, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Guttenberg.
Ron was born on Aug. 15, 1948, the son and firstborn of Melvin Fred and Arlene (Handke) Thein. He would be joined by two sisters, Susan and Mellissa Ann, (who lived three days). Ronnie and Susie lived in the little white house at 822 S. First St. all their growing up years, loving their lives with the neighborhood of Hess kids, the Frommelts, Mosers, McLanes, Vorwalds, and Weibens surrounding them. It was the good old days as Ronnie played baseball every day, dug fish worms and went line fishing in the “cut”, swimming, or exploring down on the islands behind the Creamery, growing up with Larkin and Kockie as well as other friends. Baseball and card collecting was a real part of his being a little kid. He was a true Cubs fan, and like most, he always put the Mickey Mantle cards in the trike and bike spokes with a clothes pin. Mickey always made a lot of noise. As a card collector in later years, he would have loved all those noisemakers. He excelled in math and sciences in school, like his father, loved singing in music, and graduated with honors in 1966. With the draft and Vietnam looming, he quit his job at Hilton’s and enlisted in the U.S. Navy and sailed around the world with a one-year stop at DaNang in Vietnam. That year changed his life, and when his fourth year of service was over, he came home to the little white house on First Street. He enrolled in college at the University of Dubuque and graduated with an accounting degree three years later, working in business and later had his own tax service. Shortly after, he was hired as a rural carrier and began his twenty years with the U.S.P.S. During that time he built a new house for his mother and himself and enjoyed their life, and his faithful band of tax customers stayed with him through job changes and he did their taxes one last time this year…
Ron leaves to mourn his sister, Susan and Roger Guyer; three nephews, Steven, Brad, and Rick; three great-nieces and a great-nephew; aunts, MaryAnn (Artie) Hoeger and Gustie (Marvin) Gloeckner family and uncle, Eugene Handke and family.
He was greeted at heaven’s gate and joining his parents and grandparents and many aunts and uncles and cousins. We shall all love and miss him the rest of our lives, however long or short. Amen
