Thora Elizabeth Framsted was born at home on July 23, 1918, in the Township of Luck in Wisconsin. She died peacefully in Frederic, Wisconsin, on August 4, 2016, at the age of 98. She was the sixth of seven children born to Paul and Karn (Skow) Paulsen. The first ripe tomato of the season was picked the day she was born. As a young girl, Thora attended a rural, one-room school for six years and then Frederic High School, graduating in 1934 at the age of 15. Thora went on to nursing school, and in 1945 she graduated from the Ancker School of Nursing. She worked as a nurse in Seattle, Washington, and at the St. Croix Falls Hospital. On October 8, 1947, she was united in marriage to Orville Framsted, a Norwegian bachelor farmer. They were married at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa, and were later blessed with three children. Thora worked as a cook at Volga School for two years and then at the Golden Age Manor in Amery. She was the school nurse in Amery for over 18 years. She was active with the Balsam Lutheran Church, American Cancer Society and Polk County Homemakers. Thora loved to travel, especially to Denmark which she was able to visit five times. She also enjoyed crocheting, cooking, reading, woodcarving, playing Scrabble and until recently, emailing her family and friends.
Thora is survived by two daughters, Marilyn (Dennis) Marschall, Bev (Brad) Hilton; a son, Paul (Barb) Framsted; grandchildren, Travis (Diana) Marschall, Alison (Jeff) Hutchinson, Chris (Wendy) Framsted, Joe (Jenn) Framsted, Lauren (Brandon) Hoffman, and Aric (Tamara) Hilton; great-grandchildren, Megan, Kelli, Kayla, Abby, Natalie, Cooper, Brianna, Jaxson, Rheyannon, Sawyer, Oaklie, and Briggs; and a sister, Edna Martin. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Orville; siblings, Gilbert, Richard, Clara, Marie, and Lillian; and a grandson, Adam Hilton.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, August 9, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. at Balsam Lutheran Church in rural Amery with Rev. Theresa Riewestahl officiating. There will be visitation one hour prior to the service at the church. Private family interment will be at the Balsam Lutheran Cemetery. To sign an online guest and view a video tribute go to www.williamsonwhite.com.
Thora's family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St. Croix Hospice and Traditions of Frederic for their compassion and for taking such great care of Thora.
Arrangements were entrusted to the Williamson~White Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 222 Harriman Avenue North Amery, Wisconsin 54001.