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Rev. Dr. William ‘Bill’ Paul Thalacker, 89, Waverly
Obituaries · February 07, 2024
The Rev. Dr. William “Bill” Paul Thalacker, 89, passed away peacefully at home while surrounded by family in Waverly, Iowa, on Jan. 31, 2024, due to the effects of congestive heart failure.
Bill was born in Grinnell, Iowa, on Nov. 14, 1934, to Rev. Arnold and Erna (Klein) Thalacker. He moved with his family to Lutheran congregations and communities in Iowa served by his father, including Grinnell/Malcom, Castle Grove/Monticello, Lizard Township/Palmer and Des Moines.
He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. He grew up mostly in the country, enjoying the freedom, tasting some of farm life, and participating in Luther League. He spent much time as a teenager working on the farm with his uncle, aunt, and cousins. The family made many trips to Wisconsin Rapids and Harrisville, Wis., to visit family and attend the Thalacker Family Reunion, held annually in August.
Bill was a lifelong learner, attending one room schoolhouses in Castle Grove Township and Lizard Township through eighth grade, ninth and 10th grade in Manson, and graduating from East High School in Des Moines.
He graduated from Wartburg College in Waverly and Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque. Bill continued his learning throughout his life, earning a master’s degree in religion from the University of Iowa and a Doctorate of Ministry from Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul.
While at Wartburg, Bill met Marilyn Schmidt while seated alphabetically at convocation. They married in Oelwein on Aug. 10, 1958, and started their journey of 65+ years together.
He interned for one year in the chaplain’s office at Emanuel Hospital in Portland, Ore. Bill and Marilyn served congregations in West Branch (Bethany Lutheran), Ridgeway (Peace, Madison, Orleans), Hawkeye (Trinity), Waterloo (Trinity) and rural Dunkerton (St. John’s Bennington).
They moved to Waverly in 2019 after Bill’s retirement following 58 years in the ministry. He loved the people of his congregations and the communities they lived in.
Bill made contributions outside his congregations in the larger community. Along the way, he served as Secretary of the Board of the Lutheran Children’s Home in Muscatine, a board member of Lutheran Social Services, a member and eventually president of the School Board for the Howard-Winneshiek Community Schools (Cresco), a board member of Black Hawk Lutheran Ministries, and a member of the Waterloo Exchange Club in Waterloo. His letters to the editor of the Des Moines Register were published on a variety of topics.
Bill’s faith was firm and he was confident in, and was supported by, the community of believers. Bill also believed that the community of faith was large, supporting ecumenical initiatives and doing research on ecumenism. Bill believed in helping families in need, offering counseling to not only members of his congregation, but also to others who needed help and guidance.
His children will remember him as an active and loving parent. He came home after school so that he could play baseball and softball with them. He taught them how to build igloos and play the card game Sheepshead.
He had meaningful conversations with them about life and faith. He emphasized the importance of education and reading. He encouraged their individual pursuits and involved them in the work of the congregations. His humility and generosity of spirit impacted not only his own children but also his children’s friends and the children of his congregations. He never lost the twinkle in his eye.
Bill’s interests and explorations were many. He loved gardening, golf, baseball, softball, touch football (especially the annual Thanksgiving football game with family), bicycling with the Alpine Peddlers (including 20+ RAGBRAIs, two coast-to-coast trips across the U.S., and several biking trips in Europe).
Bill sang and traveled with the Trinity Lutheran (Waterloo) choir, visited his grandchildren, traveled with Marilyn to Europe, and took trips to Israel and Jordan. He umpired baseball and softball and refereed basketball. Wherever he went, he took pictures. There are many slides and prints that he shared with family and friends after the travels.
Bill’s love for adventure and the outdoors led him to leading Luther League/youth groups to the Boundary Waters Canoeing Area for multiple trips. Dozens of the youth and adult leaders in his congregations (and nieces and nephews, and children and grandchildren) canoed the Upper Iowa or Turkey Rivers, or made the big trip to Ely, Minn.
Bill loved to hunt and fish. Whether fishing for bluegills in the local farm pond or trout in Coldwater Creek, pheasant hunting at West Branch or Monticello, or bowhunting in the Bloody Run valley, Bill loved the outdoors and learning about nature. He had a wonderful sense of humor and keen wit.
Bill and Marilyn’s greatest joys involved watching their children and grandchildren in their activities. Bill and Marilyn went to the ballgames, attended the concerts, watched the plays, and attended the graduations. Often he would take notes at the concert or ball games so that he could remember the key performances and plays in detail and have a conversation about them later.
He is survived by his wife Marilyn; children; Fred (Kris) Thalacker of Madison, Wis., Ann (Dale) Van Wig of Cheney, Wash., Andy (Amy) Thalacker of Aiken, SC, Karen Thalacker (Pete Newell) of Waverly, and Laura Thalacker (Kyle Iboshi) of Portland, Ore.; 14 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by sisters Ruth Nelson and Sarah Howdon; brothers James (Dee) Thalacker, John (Donna) Thalacker and Mark (Liz) Thalacker; brother-in-law Tom (Debbie) Vrhovnik; sister-in-law Nora Schmidt; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
He was preceded in death by his mother and father; step-mother Lois (Westwood) Thalacker; sister Naomi (Tom) Vrhovnik; sisters-in-law Nancee (James) Thalacker, Lorraine (John) Thalacker, Debbie (Mark) Thalacker and Elaine (Schmidt) Bloker; and brothers-in-law Roald (Ruth) Nelson and Gerald Schmidt.
The family would like to thank all of the caregivers, and particularly the staff at Cedar Valley Hospice, for their support and guidance.
Memorials may be directed to: The Klein-Thalacker Scholarship at Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School in Waverly, Wartburg College in Waverly, and Cedar Valley Hospice.
A funeral and celebration of life is planned for a later date. Online condolences may be left at kaisercorson.com
Kaiser-Corson Funeral Home in Waverly is in charge of arrangements. 319-352-1187
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