Billy Frank Thiel

Billy Frank Thiel passed away peacefully into the arms of Jesus on September 26, 2022 at his home in Holstein, NE surrounded by the love of family members. 

Celebration of Life will be 11 a.m. Saturday, October 1, at Roseland Community Center in Roseland. Private family burial will be at Roseland Cemetery in Roseland. There will be no viewing or visitation. The family requests in lieu of flowers, that you honor Bill with a memorial to Start Over Rover or Holstein Fire and Rescue.

Bill was born on April 29, 1951, in Sabetha, KS to Frank and Jeane (Cooley) Thiel.  He was raised in Salt Lake City, UT, and Kenesaw, NE. In the late 1960s Bill became associated with Hope Training School and Mid-Nebraska Individual Services. In 1973, Bill moved into Mid-Nebraska Individual Services first men’s residential residence across from Kiewit Gymnasium at Hastings College where Bill was well known and made many lifelong friends. Bill was associated with Mid-Nebraska Individual Services for 50 years until his retirement in 2019. Beginning in 2015, Bill became associated with Developmental Services of Nebraska in Kearney. Bill’s family would like to express their gratitude and appreciation to Mid-Nebraska Individual Services and DSN of Kearney for their services that enabled Bill to have many friendships and a full and productive life.

In 2014 Bill moved to Holstein to share a home with his sister and brother-in-law, Terry and Jim Nabower. Bill enjoyed spending time with family, watching Nebraska football, westerns and classic tv shows, talking trucks with his brothers, being spoiled by his sisters, collecting model trucks and cars, watching Union Pacific steam trains, and junk jaunting. He could be found on Sunday afternoons watching Rio Bravo. Bill loved babies, and he always had to hold the new babies in the family. Bill loved his dogs and could often be found sitting in his recliner with his best friend, Phoebe

Bill was greeted in Heaven by his parents, Frank and Jeane Thiel; grandparents, Dwight and Fannie Thiel and Claude and Pearl Cooley; brothers, Karl, Jerry, and Edward; sister, Fanny Klein; brother-in-law, Dee LeFevre; and nephews, Scott and Steve LeFevre, and Ryan Thiel. 

He is survived by his brothers, Jim of Holstein, Michael of Aurora, CO, and Dan (Monnica) of Wellington, CO; sisters, Bonnie LeFevre of Hastings, DeeAnn (Ron) Krysl of Atkinson, Terry (James) Nabower of Holstein, Cheryl Turner of Westminster, CO, June Stark of Littleton, CO, and Jane Brennfoerder of Littleton, CO; sisters-in-law, Cheryl Thiel of Hastings, Sharon Thiel of Grand Island, Dorothy Thiel of Trumbull, and Shirley Mommsen of Grand Island; brother-in-law, Dan Klein of Roseland; 38 nieces and nephews; and many, many great and great-great nieces and nephews, friends and extended family.

The family would also like to thank Mary Lanning Healthcare Hospice and Holstein Fire and Rescue for your kindness and compassion.