Thelma Marie Herbst

Thelma Marie Herbst, 96 yrs., of Westmont, II, and formerly of Columbia, IL, passed away at Burgess Square Health Care & Rehabilitation Centre, Westmont, IL. She was born in Columbia, IL, the daughter of the late William and Eva, nee Rohm, Kremmel. Thelma was an elementary teacher for decades, with the majority of her career in Columbia. She started teaching in a one-room country school on a war-time certificate. She had interesting stories about the many roles she played for her students who ranged in age from five to about fourteen - as janitor to keep the school warm and clean, as medic to tend to emergencies, and as teacher to address the varied academic needs of this body of students. After World War II, she returned to Southern Illinois University to complete her degree in 1947, a rare accomplishment at that time for a young lady from a small town. After getting her degree, she taught junior and senior English literature in New Madrid, Missouri and Valmeyer, Illinois, before returning to Columbia to teach. Thelma took a break from teaching to have four children and spent the last twenty-five years of her career teaching kindergarten in Columbia. In those days, her kindergarten teaching colleague taught half the town and Thelma taught the other half. Most of the kindergarteners did not attend school before kindergarten, but somehow Thelma managed to teach a full kindergarten curriculum including art and music to all of them while maintaining order - and that couldn’t have been easy with some of the classes in the 1960s topping out at 40 students. She would start each fall thinking that this could be the worst class that she ever had; but by the spring of that same school year, that class was the best she ever had. Thelma was an avid volunteer at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Columbia, Illinois, and Camp Wartburg and Human Support Services in Waterloo, Illinois. She was married to the late Stanley R. Herbst. He had passed away in 2002. Visitation Friday, January 6, 2017, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Lawlor Funeral Home Services Saturday, January 7, 2017, 11:00 am, St. Paul Lutheran Church, 227 Goodhaven Columbia, IL Pastor Steven Theiss, officiating Interment St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery Columbia, IL Memorial Contribution Suggestions As an expression of sympathy, the family prefers memorial contributions to:St. Paul Lutheran Church, 227 Goodhaven, Columbia, IL 62236 Survivors Son, Kurt (Margaret Wolfram) Herbst of Wexford, PA Daughter, Karen (Rauf) Dalal of Clarendon Hills, IL Son, Dr. Erich (Jean) Herbst of Baraboo, WI Daughter, Kristine (Roman Salij) Herbst of Riverside, IL Grandchildren, Yasman (Elliot Rothrock) Dalal and Alia Dalal, Dr. Christopher Herbst and Michael Herbst, Andrew Salij and Kiri Salij Cousin, Catherine (Ralph) Matthews of Columbia, IL Great-Grandchild, Alexander Rothrock Numerous Nieces and Nephews Other relatives and friends Also Preceded In Death By Sisters, Ardell (Albert) Hinrichs, Taleitha (William) Donnell, Lucille (Vernon) Smith Brothers, Wilbert (Helen) Kremmel, Clarence (Augusta) Kremmel, Oliver Kremmel

Thelma Marie Herbst

January 12, 1920 - December 31, 2016