Thomas, Twylla Jean Wensel

Twylla Jean Wensel  Thomas, 79, of Shellsburg, is at peace and free from cancer. She passed away Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013, at Rock Ridge Care Center in Shellsburg. Twylla requested there be no funeral and no flowers, and per her request her body has been donated to the University of Iowa College of Medicine. On Wednesday, Dec. 4, there will be a Celebration of Life reception in her honor at the Shellsburg American Legion from 4 until 7 p.m.

Memorials may be made to the Shellsburg Public Library.

She is survived by her sons, Scott of Cedar Rapids and Doug (Jean) Thomas of Cedar Rapids; granddaughter, Alyssa Thomas of Tampa, Fla.; grandson, Derek Thomas of Cedar Rapids; sisters, Judy (Van) Valaskey of Cross Plains, Wis., and Sheryl (Bill) Wagner of Minneapolis; brothers, James (Margy) Wensel of Carman, Ill., and Jonathan (Laura) Gabriel of Gordon, Wis., and their sons, daughters and grandchildren. She is also survived by very special friends and neighbors, Judy and Larry Mumm and Vicky, Ryan, Patrick, Sarah and Elizabeth Hill.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur Thomas; her mother, Wilda Gabriel, and her father, William Eugene Wensel.

Twylla was born May 12, 1934, in Spickard, Mo.; she married Arthur Thomas on Feb. 3, 1952, in Cedar Rapids, where they lived for 42 years. In 1994, they moved to Shellsburg.

She was retired from J-Tec Associates. Before J-Tec Associates she worked at Wilson Foods & Turner Microphone.

The family would like to thank the many health care providers for their care of Twylla in her final weeks: St. Luke's emergency room staff and physicians, St. Luke's Hospice team, the staff of Rock Ridge Care Center in Shellsburg as well as the entire Shellsburg community for their many years of support and friendship.

Online condolences may be left at www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.

Published Nov. 28, 2013 in The Gazette