Orice May (Theisen) Walters

Mom attended Iron Mountain High School and was a member of the Class of 1952. On Aug. 17, 1951, she married her junior high school sweetheart, our dad, Harlan Walters. They were married in Iron Mountain, where they spent 63 wonderful years together before Dad entered eternal life in 2015.

Mom worked at Kentucky Fried Chicken when it was located at the Dickinson Inn in Iron Mountain, she sewed curtains for Bond Decorating and worked at Shopko. In 1985 Mom and Dad went into business for themselves providing vinyl windows to the area. Walters Windows introduced Vinyl-Pro windows to the U.P.

Mom was a very community minded person and through the years was active as a Cub Scout Den Mother, Girl Scout and Campfire Girls leader. She also was the PTA/PTO secretary while her children were attending school.

Within the community, in the 1960’s Mom and Dad belonged to a Square Dancing group, Mom helped organize the local Big Sisters of Dickinson County, and served on the Board of Directors for Big Brother/Big Sisters, Mom also presided as President of General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) for several years. In their later years, Mom and Dad became very active in the Golden K. Mom has served as Program Chairperson, GK Board of Directors, member of Golden Throats, even directing when desperately needed, and wrote the weekly GK article for the Daily News. Mom and Dad were members of Oak Crest Golf Club for many years, where they golfed as part of a couples group.

Mom had a deep faith and it showed in the various positions she was elected to within the Lutheran Church. She was the first woman elected as Vice President and Council Chairman of the ELCA Northern Great Lakes Synod, a position which she held for eight years. As a part of the NGLS, Mom also served on the Mission Outreach Committee. She also served on the WI-Upper Michigan Lutheran Church Women Council. Mom and Dad were members of First Lutheran Church in Iron Mountain for many years where Mom sang in the choir, initiated and was a leader of the Lydia Circle Bible Study group, was a Lutheran Church Women President, and helped start the Women’s Camping week at Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp.

After her and Dad joined Bethany Lutheran Church in Norway, Mom continued her service to the church by again singing with the choir, being a member of the Bethany Ladies Guild, a Parish Advisory Board member, Co-coordinator for the Cornerstone Community Carnival for several years, was a lay-reader and Bible study member.

The extended family referred to Mom and our family as the “Chocolate Walters.” She loved to bake brownies and made many batches of them to share with family and to give away to others.

Besides our Dad and Mom’s parents, preceding her in death was her brother, Earl Theisen; her sister, Betty Nelson; her first infant grandchild, Chelsea Pierce; and son-in-law, Jerry Pierce. Also sisters-in-law, Ruth and Nancy Theisen; brothers-in-law, Leslie Walters and Rodney Walter.

Mom loved her family! She leaves behind four children who cared for both her and Dad in the years they needed it most. They are Christy (Gary) Wolff of Appleton, Wis., and her family, Heidi (Gary) McGeough, Tyler (Megan) and Austin; Ryan (Angela) Pierce, Dayton, Genasea, Nataly, Maria and Vincent; Lennie (Lorrie) Walters of Quinnesec and his family, Lennie II (Becky) Walters and Jonathan, Mack (Nikki) Walters, Ally and Adam; Sally (Bill) Borga of Norway and her family, Kimberly (Matt) Mollick, Dartagnan, Dace and Kainsley; Katie (Jerome) Ritzman, Branch and Truett; Neil (Ina) Borga; and Tim Walters of Waucedah and his family, Janay Walters (Jordan) and Tori Walters.

She loved her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and always enjoyed attending their sporting and school events and programs whenever possible.

Mom also leaves behind her sister, Marge Nelson of Iron Mountain; brother, Wayne Theisen of Randville; sister-in-law, Arlene Walter of Peoria, Ariz.; her godchildren, Pam Nelson and Torvin Theisen; and many nieces and nephews who she loved hearing from and keeping in touch with through phone calls, texts, emails, Facebook and personal visits.

In memory of Mom, we ask you to wear pink, her favorite color, to her Celebration of Life. If you cannot attend, wear pink on that day.

Our family would like to thank Dr. Morel and his office for their wonderful attention to our Mom; also to Marshfield Medical Center-Dickinson County Home Health Care and Hospice for their wonderful care, tender attention and personal concern to Mom and our family in this journey.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, Jan. 26, at Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church in Norway. A memorial service to follow at noon at the church. Rev. Dave Johnson will officiate.

Condolences may be expressed to the family of Orice M. Walters online at www.ernashfuneralhomes.com.

The family has entrusted the Erickson-Rochon & Nash Funeral Home of Iron Mountain with the arrangements.