Mary Jane Thelen

Mass of Christian Burial for Mary Jane Nawrocki Thelen, age 86, of Fairmont, MN, will be 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Fairmont. Burial will be held in Holy Family Catholic Cemetery in East Chain, MN. Visitation will be 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a prayer service and rosary at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 16, 2026, at the Lakeview Funeral Home in Fairmont. Mary Jane passed away peacefully at home on Monday, March 9th, surrounded by the family she loved so dearly. She had been living with Merkel Cell Carcinoma, but true to her nature, she faced it with quiet strength and grace. The Lakeview Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Fairmont is assisting the family with the arrangements.

Mom was born on August 7, 1939, in Armstrong, Iowa, to Herman and Azelene (Dundas) Jaskulke. They soon put down roots in Granada, Minnesota, where she grew up and went to school.

She worked as a nanny for Laura and Herb Gunther, helping raise their five boys. Those boys held a special place in her heart for the rest of her life, and it was easy to see why: caring for children was something she did naturally and joyfully.

In 1958, she married Adrian Nawrocki, and the two of them built a life together in Fairmont, where we, her two daughters, came along. In 1972, the family moved to a farm in East Chain, and that's where so many of our favorite memories were made. Mom and Dad loved to entertain, and the farm became the place to be–barn dances that brought the whole community together, music and laughter spilling out into the night.

While Dad was the life of the party, Mom was the one who kept everything running. She had a huge garden, devoured books, took up golf (and got quite good at it), and showed up to every school event, every activity, every thing that mattered to us. When they renovated the farmhouse, she discovered a new calling: varnishing, staining, painting, and wallpapering. She turned it into a small business, often recruiting her dear friend Grace Gerken to help. If you needed something done right, you called Mom.

When we lost Dad in 1993, we weren't sure what she would do. She stayed on the farm for eight more years. Eventually, she made her way to Fairmont, and in 2006, a new chapter began when she married Aldon Thelen. He made her so happy. They loved to go dancing together on Sunday afternoons. They also golfed, played cards, and wintered in Fort Myers, Florida. They filled their days with good friends and good fun. Watching her laugh and thrive in that season of her life was one of the greatest gifts she gave us. Al was the most caring, loving, and constant companion for our mom.

Nothing lit her up like her grandchildren. Alyssa, Erin, Rob, and Kristin. Their beloved "Bubbe" adored them fiercely, and they adored her right back. She was so proud of each of them.

Mom is survived by her husband, Aldon Thelen; her two daughters, Sharon (James) Terry of Edina, MN, and Laura (Mike) Williams of Chanhassen, MN; her four grandchildren, Alyssa (Alyssa Kaplan) Terry, Erin (Pete) Mazurek, Rob (Samantha) Williams, and Kristin Williams; and her sister, Janice (Berdean) Moeller. She was preceded in death by her parents; her first husband, Adrian Nawrocki; her brothers, Herman "Red" Jaskulke and Cliff Jaskulke; and her sisters, Arlene Kliene and Delores Jaskulke.

We will miss her every single day - her work ethic, her smile, her hugs, her winks, and the way she made everyone around her feel taken care of. We were so lucky to call her Mom.

Memorials can be given to St John Vianney endowment fund.