Joanne M. Thinnes

Joanne Mary (Ryder) Thinnes was born at home in a snowstorm in Dubuque, Iowa on January 9, 1932, and went home to the Lord on July 31, 2025.

Joanne was the daughter of Thomas J. and Edith Julia (Wurst) Ryder. As a child, she grew up in the residence at the Dubuque County Jail when her father was a sheriff in the 1930’s. Joanne liked to say that the bootleggers in the jail taught her how to ride a bike. She attended the Academy of the Visitation in Dubuque (highest scorer on the basketball team she would like you to know), and later Clarke College. At college, she met dashing Loras track star, Bill (“Rip”) Thinnes, the love of her life. They married in September 1952 and began their lives as newlyweds while Bill was training for the Marine Corps in North Carolina. They later moved to Bill’s hometown of Chicago, and then to Dubuque, where Bill was the Assistant Dubuque County Attorney and Joanne took care of their growing family.

Bill and Joanne raised six children: Bill (Teresa) Thinnes, Paula (Dan) Way, David (Karen) Thinnes, Laura (Bill) Frissell, Mari (Chet) Culver, and John (Tricia) Thinnes. Joanne liked to say she gave birth in three different decades-the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.

Joanne was devoted to her Catholic faith and to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Marion, Iowa, where she and Bill settled in 1965, when he was appointed Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Iowa. There wasn’t a committee, prayer group or church activity in which Joanne didn’t participate in, volunteer for, or organize. For many years she also delivered holy communion to nursing home residents. She served as President of the Parish Council, chaired the social concerns committee at St. Joe’s, and was a volunteer at Mercy Hospital. She was active in the Democratic party for many years.

Joanne was an active golfer and she and Bill enjoyed playing golf and socializing at Indian Creek Country Club, where they lived on the ninth fairway, and their family’s daily lives were punctuated by ducking at the shouts of “FORE!” Joanne’s scorecard boasting her best round of 42 remained on the kitchen refrigerator for years (or so it seemed).

With Bill’s untimely passing in 1985, Joanne forged a new life. She had dear, dear friends, many of whom she traveled with and vacationed in Florida each year. She continued her very busy church life at St. Joseph’s until she moved into Keystone Assisted Living in 2019. Joanne was a constant prayer and a devoted servant of Christ her entire life. Her rewards in heaven will be abundant, where she is reunited after 40 years with her beloved Rip.

Joanne is survived by her six children; thirteen grandchildren: Connor and Nora Thinnes, Drs. William and Robert Thinnes, Jeremy and Marisa Way, Alexandra Rhoten and Elizabeth and Alex Frissell, Clare and John Culver, and Paige Amdahl and Charlotte Henry; and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded into eternal life by her husband Bill; parents; brothers Bill and Tom Ryder; and sister Nancy Huss.

Joanne’s family would like to give their heartfelt thanks to Joanne’s kind caregivers at Keystone Cedars, the wonderful team of caregivers of Mercy Hospice, and the gentle nurses and staff at the Oldorf Hospice House in Hiawatha.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Monday, August 4, 2025, at Murdoch Funeral Home, 3855 Katz Drive, in Marion, Iowa, where a vigil service will begin at 3:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at the Old St. Joseph Catholic Church, located at 995 5th Avenue, in Marion. The burial will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, at Mount Calvary Cemetery, 375 32nd Street Drive SE, in Cedar Rapids.

Memorials in Joanne’s memory may be directed to either St. Joseph Catholic Church or Mercy Hospice.