Jerome L. Thiessen
Jerome L. Thiessen
Jerome Lawrence Thiessen, age 75, of Baraboo passed away at home on January 8, 2015. Jerome lived in Wisconsin his whole life, and Baraboo was his home for over 60 years. He was preceded in death by his parents Lawrence C. Thiessen and Irene D. Madson, and his loved-one and companion, Vera Scoles. He is survived by his family including his brother Samuel L. Thiessen of Lakewood, CO. He married Betty Bassett and had two children with her; Curt J. Thiessen and Kay M. Thiessen. Curt and his wife Susan live in Columbus, IN. Kay and her husband Mike Cummins reside in Phoenix, AZ. Curt and Susan have two children; Brian Thiessen and Kelly Thiessen Shaver. Brian and his wife Emily have two children, Daniel and Grace. Kelly is married to Jordan Shaver. Jerome graduated from Baraboo High School. He worked briefly for the telephone company, and then worked over 30 years at Badger Army Ammunition Plant. He did maintenance and was a boiler operator. As this plant was shut down, Jerome was one of the few that looked after it. After taking Family Medical Leave Act to bust his dad Lawrence out of a nursing home and care for him, he retired. Well, he stopped going to work, but he continued to do what he loved, building, tinkering, fixing and tending to his property. He restored the original homestead log cabin at Ski-Hi Fruit Farm. He maintained a number of Bluebird houses. He was kind to animals. He loved the Bluffs and the countryside. He loved flying. He dedicated much of his life to this, not only learning to fly, but in building and restoring planes, and encouraging others to fly. He established the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame "Thiessen Field Scholarship" that is awarded to students with interests in the pursuit of flight. He specifically created a lower GPA requirement for the award. He was fond of saying "Not everyone is book smart, but everyone should have an opportunity". He supported the Baraboo Dells airport and eventually cleared and established his own registered airstrip, Thiessen Field Airport on his property where he would routinely fly his 1946 Aeronca Champ airplane. He was a big proponent of the Experimenal Aircraft Association and Wittman Tailwinds, having built an award winning Wittman W10 aircraft. He was a fixture at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh air show every year. Now let's talk cars. Jerome was a grease monkey at 16. It wasn't just cars, but steam engines and farm equipment that he would bring back to life. He restored a 1932 Ford Model B Pickup that was an original Baraboo delivery vehicle for Altpeter's Soda that he donated to the historical society. He built a number of street rods including a 1964 Avanti, 1957 Chevy Pickup, and a 1950 Studebaker Pickup. He also restored a vintage Spartan travel trailer, a Dodge Travco RV, and a 1954 Studebaker coupe. He was currently working on a 1953 Studebaker street rod. Jerome was shocked and grateful for all of his friends that contacted him during his recovery following a severe vehicle accident in June 2015. He wanted a simple end, and was a "no fuss" kind of guy, so we have honored his wishes. The family will be holding a big memorial celebration of life party at his airstrip, Thiessen Field, this spring, where we will gather, eat and tell stories about a man named Jerome. Date announcement will be published in the Baraboo Newspaper about a month in advance of the celebration. Pilots, Hot Rodders, and all are invited.A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to:Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin (Can be abbreviated as CFONCW)On the check's memo line indicate:Thiessen Field ScholarshipMail checks to:Community Foundation of North Central WisconsinSuite 2600500 First StreetWausau, WI 54403 Additional information about the organization and Jerome's Thiessen Field Scholarship can be found at:www.cfoncw.org