Arlene Joyce Thoennes

Arlene Joyce Thoennes (Dropik) was born in Minneapolis, MN to Anton and Ida (Swehla) Dropik on November 27, 1929. She was the first born of ten (10) siblings. The family later moved to the Dropik homestead in Leaf Valley, MN. 

Arlene had fond memories of farming helping her mother Ida with planting the garden, recalling a time prior to electricity where meat and potatos were stored buried in the cellar to preserve them and putting the milk in the creek to keep cool on hot days as electricity was not available until she was 12. 

Arlene attended school in a one-room classroom at St. Mary’s in Millerville. When asked how she met her husband Richard, Arlene recalls attending dances in Millerville where the dance was lit by gas lanterns, and the dance floor was wooden. Richard would pick her up in Pa’s 1942 Chevy for their dates. Arlene and Richard were married in Millerville on May 31, 1949. They moved to a small farm in Urbank where the first 3 girls, Joyce, Kathleen, and Sandra were born. After 5 years of marriage, they moved to Minneapolis, MN. Arlene then worked as a waitress in the evenings at Tommy’s hamburger shop while Richard worked days at the railroad as Arlene was not yet driving in the city. After 8 years they welcomed Peggy and then 6 years later Cheryl for 5 daughters in the family. Arlene took a job at Loretta’s Tea Room and then in 1977 started working at the Town & Country Golf Club where she would retire after working there for 30 years. 

Arlene loved returning to Millerville and showing us the family farms and visiting her brothers and sisters. Those reunions were the cause of much happiness and laughter for her. Arlene was a good cook turning out the traditional meat, potatos and homemade bread for the family often. She loved to garden having her yard surrounded by blooming plants and flowers. Some of her favorites were daisies, geraniums, coleus, and moss roses. 

Arlene is survived by her daughters: Kathleen (John) Fercello, Sandra Sorensen, Peggy Awker, Cheryl (Tim) Schwarz. Also surviving are her 10 grandchildren and her 14 great grandchildren. Surviving siblings are Richard (Marlys) Dropik, Dale (Joann) Dropik, Beverly Thoennes, Patty Hartman, Diane Dropik and Judy Koep. 

Arlene is preceded in death by her husband Richard Thoennes in 2011 and her daughter Joyce Hoppe in 2020, brother Bill Dropik, sisters Shirley Kluver and Betsy Yuetter, brothers-in-law: Arnold Thoennes, Basil Hartman, Roman Koep, and Henry Kluver; son-in-law Fred Sorensen. 

Mass of Christian Burial to be held Tuesday, June 18, 2024 at 11AM at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 835 2nd Ave NW, New Brighton with visitation one hour prior. Interment will follow the luncheon at St. John The Baptist Catholic Cemetery at 1:30PM.