In Memory of Ethelyn “Sam” Thunstrom

Ethelyn “Sam” Thunstrom, age 100, of Stacy she went to be the her Lord February 7, 2017.  Funeral services will be held at 3:00 P.M. Sunday, February 12th at Country Roads Church in Stacy.  A visitation will be held from 1:30 P.M. Sunday until the service at the church.  Interment will be in Oxford Union Cemetery.

Ethelyn (Sam) (Bellin) Thunstrom was born October 21, 1916 in Oxford Township to Henry and Hannah (Nelson) Bellin. She was given the nickname of Sam as a little girl from the man that installed carbide lights in the family home, her brothers continued calling her Sam and the name stuck. She has been known throughout her life as Sam or Sammy.
July 13, 1940 she was united in marriage to Wallace Thunstrom. For a number of years they operated a chicken ranch in the North Branch area. Later they moved to St. Paul. While Wally was in the war she went to work as a biller for Montgomery Wards. After Wally passed away in 1978 and her retirement later that year, she moved back to the Bellin homestead, living with her brother Ed in a mobile home directly across from the home she grew up in. She loved being back in the country and having a large garden as well as living across the driveway from Linda who had purchased the homestead from her brother Ed. She loved bowling and bowled on numerous leagues until an accident injured her right hand. She was an active member of Country Roads Church for many years.
In 2014, she moved into the Ecumen assisted living and memory care facility in North Branch. On February 7, 2017, she went to be with her Lord. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Wallace; brothers, George, Art, Floyd and Ed as well as sister, Ruth, and son, Tom. She is survived by daughters, Linda Wallace, Donna (Lee) Setter; grandchildren, Bellin (Gary) Cox, Amber Setter (Todd Kerkow), Brad (Karla) Setter, Ben and Laura Thunstrom; 8 great-grandchildren; as well as special family, Judy Murrietta, Dawn (Dewayne) Roberts, Lori (Kevin) Nickel, Gordy and Twila Setter. Special thanks to the wonderful care provided by St. Croix Hospice, particularly Nykkia and Shelly, also the loving care provided by the aides at Ecumen North Branch.