Theo Leola (Simmes) Wiegand

Theo Leola Wiegand, 87, passed on Thursday, March 23, 2023.

Theadora Leola Simmes was born June 29, 1935 to Theodore and Mildred Simmes on their farm near Sunburst. She was the 5th of 6 children born to Ted and Millie. She attended school in Sunburst. On February 9, 1952 she married John Hoover Wiegand. When John was drafted into the army in May, the couple lived in San Luis Obispo, CA during basic training. When he was assigned to duty overseas, Theo returned to the Wiegand farmstead to await his return.

 Upon his return, they worked together to build a farming enterprise that could be passed on to future generations. The farm flourished and now celebrates 110 years of Wiegands laboring as stewards of the land. When John passed, Theo followed through with their legacy plans, thereby paving the way for a fourth generation of Wiegand farmers to carry on working the land.

 Five children were born to John and Theo, LindaAlexander, John T. (Bonniel William (Rhondal Laura (Doug) Remington and Lucy (William) Ruediger. Followed by ten grandchildren, Becky, Bill, Ted, Luke, Kathy Jo, lake, Matt, Ruth Rose, Marina and John and 13 great-granddaughters, Mederise, Lily, Joelle, Ainsley, Gwendolyn, Noelle, Heather, Lydia, Greta, Addison, Mazie, Jozie and Evelyn! Statistically there's a chance for a female president out of this fine bunch of girls.

 Theo loved traveling and exploring with John in their retirement years. They traveled all over Nevada, Arizona, Utah, California and even set foot in Mexico. She got a thrill out of gambling and finally won a big jackpot on a penny slot that enabled them to upgrade from an RV to a real home in Lake Havasu City, AZ! That home became a destination vacation site for the whole family. Grapefruit was her favorite fruit to the end. The family can all tell stories about the grapefruit quests they were invited on whenever they visited in Havasu.

  Theo was preceded in death by husband John, her parents, siblings: Theodore Jr., Maxine Lee, Judy Matthews, Dorothy Davis, and step-siblings Leonard and Wayne Lubitz. Theo is survived by her sister Joanne Simmes and step-sister JoAnn Parrent, her 5 children, 10 grandchildren, 13 greatgranddaughters, and numerous nieces and nephews.

 Funeral services will be Friday, April 14, at 2pm at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Shelby.

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