Rudolf "Rudi" Thill

Rudolf Thill passed away Sunday, March 7, 2010. A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, March 13th at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, 815 High Street, Des Moines. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the church.

Rudi was born on July 18, 1924 in Katscher, Germany to Alfons and Martha Siegert-Thill. As a young man during WW II he was drafted and sent to fight in the Afrika Korps. After six months he was captured by the Allies to spend over three years in prisoner of war camps in Tennessee and Texas where his respect and understanding of Democracy grew to cause him to return later to become a citizen.

After the war Rudi was sponsored to come to America. His first job was as a night porter at the Hotel Savery. He enrolled at Drake University and often walked there from the hotel to attend classes. He received his undergraduate and Master’s degree there, and continued to work on a PhD at the University of Iowa. He spent many happy years as a Professor of History and German at Grand View College. In his retirement he wrote Adrift In Stormy Times, a memoir of his life in Germany and America.

Rudi loved travel, art, photography, music, cooking, gardening, all nature and especially bricklaying, a craft learned professionally while in Germany. The Gardenhouse, his biggest and most prized project, was the place where he and Sigrid were married. It was also the place of many parties and events such as the family Thanksgiving dinners.

Rudi is survived and will be dearly missed by his wife, Sigrid; son, Stephen (Iris); step children, Thomas Dickson (Janell), Robert Dickson (Lizabeth), Emily Gaylord (James); sister, Margarete (Fritz) Schmid of Germany; grandson, Koen; step grandchildren, Callie Dickson, Bradley Dickson, Molly Dickson, Max Dickson, Anne Gaylord, Jeremy Gaylord; nephews, Rudolf Schmid, Rupert Schmid; niece, Johanna Deubler all of Germany; adopted family, Diane Nguyen, Hai Pham (Anna), Loni Pham, Cindy Moore (Chad), Anne Pham, and Mary Pham.

Rudi’s family expresses a special thank you to Ramsey Village for the loving care given to Rudi and his family.

On-line condolences to:
www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com

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