Valere W. "Val" Thaden

Funeral Services for Valere W. “Val” Thaden, 90, Norfolk, will be 10:30 a.m., Monday, March 19, 2018 at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Norfolk.  Reverend Ryan Taylor will officiate.  Burial will be at Prospect Hill Cemetery.  Military rites conducted by the Offutt Air Force Base Honor Guard, American Legion Post 16 and VFW Post 1644. Visitation will be 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Sunday at Home for Funerals.

He passed away Wednesday, March 14, 2018 at the Stanton Health Center in Stanton.

Val was born on February 3, 1928 in Lead, South Dakota. His parents were Otto and Clara (Hellmers) Thaden. He graduated from Norfolk Senior High School in 1946.

Val served as an electronics engineer in the United States Air Force after World War II from June 1946 until June 1949. He finished his last two years in occupied Japan and obtained the rank of Staff Sergeant. 

On June 8, 1952, Val was married to his high school sweetheart, Bonnie Jane Hammond, in Selah, Washington by the Reverend Blaine Hammond at the Methodist Church. From 1952 to 1960, he worked at KOIL TV and WOW TV in Omaha and NET TV in Lincoln. Val and Bonnie moved to Fredonia, NY in 1969 when he got a job with the local branch of the SUNY. He designed, built and ran their Television Production Studio, taught classes and helped design the curriculum. They moved back to Norfolk in 2003.

Val was a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Norfolk. He was passionate about singing in the church choir and served as an elder. He enjoyed playing the accordion which he learned as a young child and later also the electric keyboard.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Bonnie, children Valery (Robert) Reinke of New Jersey, Clare (Lonnie) Kleensang of Norfolk, James (Lucy) Thaden of Spencerport, NY, and Judy Thaden of Norfolk, grandchildren Christina (Austin) Landis and Kevin Thaden, great grandchildren Brianna Mae and Hailey Rose, and brother Richard (Wilma) Thaden of Marysville, WA.

Val was preceded in death by his parents and other relatives.

Memorials requested to Our Savior Lutheran Church.

 Service Information