FERN A. THELANDER, age 77, of Worthington, died Friday, April 10, 2009 at Sanford Hospital, Worthington. She was born November 29, 1931 in Callender, Iowa to parents Arthur G. and Lucile M. (Zierke) Thelander. At three years of age she moved with her family to a farm near Harris, IA; where Fern started school. At six years of age she with her family moved to a farm near Kinbrae, MN; which her parents had purchased. Fern attended Kinbrae School through the 8th grade and then attended and graduated from Fulda High School in the class of 1949. On December 30, 1949 she was hired at Worthington Public Utilities, City of Worthington where she worked for 40 years. She retired on December 30, 1989 at 58 years of age because of poor health. In April of 1990 she fell and broke her hip and shoulder and after four months in a nursing home she moved to the Atrium High Rise where she has lived since. She was a member of St. Matthew Lutheran Church where she was Sunday School Secretary for a number of years and was a Ladies Evening Bible Study member. She was appointed by the mayor to serve on the Housing Rental Authority Board in 1994 and served till November of 2005. She loved gardening, especially flowers and enjoyed music and collecting jewelry and small bird and animal figurines. She loved her God and her country. She is survived by cousins, Daryl (Geri) Zierke, Chiloquin, Oregon; Darlene (Robert) Wiese, Newton, IA; Donna (Rodney) Scholtes, Wilmont, MN; Dianna (Maynard) Maas, Owatonna, MN; Dennis (Janet) Zierke, Worthington, MN; Dixie Rigby, Spencer, IA; and Irene Hesse, Ocheyedan, IA; and their families. Also a very special friend Evelyn Lambert, Worthington and her family, plus other friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and her only brother Herman, who was in one of the Navy Planes that was lost in a training flight in 1945.