Thelma Lorraine Tangen, 92, of Rochester, Minnesota, formerly of LeRoy, Minnesota, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, at Arbor Terrace Memory Care, where she had lived for the past six years.

Thelma Lorraine Nordby was born Aug. 6, 1927, in Spring Valley, Minnesota, to Hans and Henrietta (Hattlestad) Nordby. She graduated from LeRoy High School. On Sept. 4, 1948, she married Gordon Tangen in LeRoy. They had 41 years together before he was killed in a car/truck accident while on his way to work.

Her primary career was with the United States Postal Service, where she worked in the LeRoy Post Office as a part-time clerk for 11 years, while also working in the Rochester Post Office. She then became a postmaster and served in this position for 14 years in Canton, Minnesota, before transferring to the Rose Creek, Minnesota Post Office where she retired in 1996.

She was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She especially loved those little ones as her dementia progressed! She enjoyed making life-like dolls and sewing their clothing. She was also gifted at sewing clothing for her daughters, and had many pictures showing them in identical dresses as they grew up. She made many quilts and sets of needlepoint dish towels for her family members. She very much enjoyed playing cards with her friends.

Thelma is survived by a daughter Mary (Peter) Slavin of Rochester and a son James (Bev) Tangen of Clermont, Iowa; 11 grandchildren, Jason Myli, Danette Hunsberger, Rachel Thielen, Kristi Myli, Sarah Slavin, Christopher Slavin, Anthony Miller, Nathaniel Miller, Kayla Frederickson, Heather Stahnke, and Alyssa Tangen; 13 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband Gordon, her daughters Marcia Myli and Janice Miller, two brothers, and a sister.

The family wishes to express their deep gratitude for the care their mother received from the staff at Arbor Terrace Memory Care, and also the staff at the Mayo Clinic Care Transitions Program.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Funeral services for Thelma will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020, at LeRoy Lutheran Church in LeRoy with Pastor Herman Bakker officiating. Burial will take place in the LeRoy Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation will be held 5-7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 6 at Hindt Funeral Home in LeRoy and will continue for one hour prior to the service at the church on Tuesday.

Online condolences may be left at Hindtfuneralhomes.com