Ione Krell Engel Theis was born July 16th, 1917 on a homestead near White Lake, South Dakota to Nick and Anna (Gardner) Krell – the seventh of eight children and was until her death the sole surviving sibling.
Ione came to Minneapolis to study cosmetology and arrived in Shakopee in 1938 employed at the “Modern Beauty Shop.”
In 1945 Ione married William A. Engel and together they operated Engel’s Bar at what now is the site of Turtle’s on First Avenue and Lewis Street.
After Bill’s death in 1955, Ione and daughter Barbara remained in Shakopee. In 1957 Ione married John A. Theis. Their son, Ted was born in 1958.
She was a caring and generous mother, and grandmother to many step grandchildren.
Ione enjoyed all forms of artistic endeavor – painting, sculpting, sewing, needlework. She served her community in leadership for the Girl Scouts and later for the Shakopee Senior Citizens Club. Ione was an active member of St. Mark’s Catholic Church for many years – music was a passion and she participated in the church choir as well as a local women’s choral group “the Harmonettes” later named New Jubilee Singers. With this group, she performed at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater and traveled abroad twice. A highlight was to sing mass at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and the “Alleluia” in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
She lived at All Saints Senior Living from September of 2014 until her passing November 28, 2016. She is survived by and will be dearly missed by daughter Barbara Theis Hauger, son Ted J. Theis, step daughter Mary (Jim) Jaeger, grandson Ben (Cerenity) Hauger and granddaughter Caroline Hauger; many step grandchildren; many other relatives and friends.
Preceded in death by her husbands, Bill Engel and John Theis; parents; brothers and sisters.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be on Friday, December 16 at 12 (noon) at The Parish of Saints Joachim and Anne (St. Mark) 350 South Atwood Street, with a visitation one hour prior. Interment will be at the Shakopee Catholic Cemetery, Shakopee, MN. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred and will be distributed in Ione’s memory by the Theis family.
Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home and Cremation, Shakopee Chapel, proudly served and cared for the Theis
