Wilfred Joseph "Tim" Thimmesch, 98, died peacefully Friday morning, April 24. He was just 3 weeks shy of his 99th birthday.
He was born in a farmhouse in southeast Minnesota on May 12, 1927, to Joseph and Marie Klegseth Thimmesch. He was the oldest of five, followed by Mary Ann, Junella, Stephen (Sarah) and Wendell (Marj). As a young boy, his family moved around a lot following his Dad to where the work was. A few of the places they traveled to were New Albin; Church; and Guthrie, Mo. They ended up in Burlington, after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941, so that his Dad could work at the ammunition plant.
In 1942, when he was 15, he went to work for a local farmer. In the fall while waiting for the school bus his junior year he met Aurel Warner, the love of his life. Immediately drafted when he turned 18, he completed infantry training in Texas. Interesting enough, his Dad was also drafted since he was only 36 when the war started. Tim came home on leave in November, 1945 and married Aurel. They were married for 65 years and blessed with 2 children, Michael (Diane) and Kathleen, 6 grandchildren – Michelle (Jason), Matt (Sherri), Jenna (Clint), Erica (Slade), Sara (Brian) and Jayne (Jess) and 11 great-grandchildren.
During his working years he was a self-employed carpenter. After work, he would come home and work on his 100 acre “hobby” farm. In 1978 he parceled off 2 acres of his Dad’s farm in Burlington and built his and Aurel’s home by hand. He continued living there after she was called home in 2010, even tending to his lawn until 2 weeks before his passing. In his lifetime he loved fixing boats and cars, fishing, hunting, camping and boating. A couple of his proudest accomplishments were refurbishing a 1950s Chris Craft wood boat and multiple 1960s Mustangs. Tim loved his furry friends and had many German Shepards throughout his lifetime. His faithful companion to the end was Pepper, a rescue that even visited him in hospice thanks to his granddaughter Sara and her husband Brian.
Tim was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, his sister Mary Ann and his daughter, Kathleen.
The funeral service for Tim will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Lunning Chapel with Pastor David Yonker officiating. The visitation for Tim will be held one hour before the service, Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Lunning Chapel, where the family will meet with friends. Military rites will be conducted by the Burlington Area Veterans Honor Guard at 11 a.m. Burial will follow the service at Aspen Grove Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers a memorial has been established for St. Joseph’s Indian School, Rosebud Reservation, Chamberlain, S.D., as both Tim and Aurel loved the Native American spirit.