Thelma Tacke

Thelma Thares Tacke, 86, of Great Falls, a retired real estate broker, died of natural causes January 3, 2017 at Peace Hospice.A memorial service will be at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at Westside Methodist Church. Private interment of Thelma and her Prince Leonard will take place at a later date at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Schnider Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.Thelma was born to Einar and Edna (Keeland) Gelvick November 27, 1930 in Glendive, MT. The family moved to Power, MT, where they had a small farm. Times were hard so Einar and Edna took outside jobs that sometimes took them away from home. Thelma was blessed to be able to live with her grandmother during those times. As a toddler, she helped feed the cows, sheep and take care of a garden that fed the family. She always looked back at her childhood with joy. She learned hard work early in life and always looked at it as fun. Looking at work as fun served her well as she quit school at age 15 to go to work to earn a paycheck to help her mother raise her two younger brothers as Einar had abandoned the family for the Merchant Marines. While working at Petes Drive In she met Matt Thares. They married in December 1948. Together they had three children, Linda, Diann and Dan. Matt died in 1970, leaving Thelma a 39 year old widow with a 30 year mortgage, no life insurance and three teenage children that she worried about. At the time, Thelma was working for Gordon Realty as Glenn's secretary. She decided she had to do something to better herself to provide for her family. Thelma bought junker houses and duplexes for peanuts and after a full day at Gordon Realty would tear them down to the studs and rebuild them all by herself. She was flipping houses before flipping was cool. Still not satisfied, Thelma got her GED and first became a real estate agent and then a broker herself, a fact that made us all so proud. Thelma retired from active Real Estate to care for her mother, giving her 24 hour a day care until Edna's passing.Thelma's love for her family was never ending, always being there to help where ever needed and giving good sound advice.She reconnected many years later with her lifelong friend, Leonard Tacke. They married in 1989. Thelma always said Leonard was her Prince and thanked God for him every day. Together they had so many happy times. They loved going to Nevada, Arizona and Alaska. While in Alaska she took great pride in catching the biggest halibut of the day. Leonard passed away in 2010 and never a day went by that she would not talk about him and miss him.Thelma had a great love for God's creatures. There was always plenty of family dogs and cats and all were special to her but especially her dog, Sugar. Squirrels and birds around her house never knew a hungry day! No matter how awful the weather, Thelma would make sure that their feeders were always full. As her church family at Westside Methodist Church would say, Thelma was the BEST dog sitter for any and all. Only problem was that the dogs would go home way too spoiled.She is survived by her three children, Linda Thares, Diann (Duane) Halvorson, and Dan (Nadine) Thares; two grandchildren, Lori Anderson and Matt (Michelle Adams) Halvorson; three great-grandchildren, Jake Thunstrom, Joe Thunstrom and Jaxon Halvorson; many nieces and nephews from the Gelvick, Thares and Tacke families that she treasured; also many family friends and her church family which was a huge part of her life. She loved us all dearly.Thelma was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Warren, Phil and Stan Gelvick; special nephew, Doug Gelvick; and great-nephew Christian Kicker Parcel.We thank the Benefis 6th floor doctors and nurses for their care of Thelma and to Peace Hospice for their loving care. Thelma told her niece, Lynne, that she was ready to fly with the Angels, and 24 hours later she was able to do just that. We will always be eternally grateful to Peace Hospice for helping her with her journey. Thelma loved the Lord and her faith with all of her heart. She is now at rest with our Father in Heaven.Memorials in Thelma's name are suggested to Peace Hospice; Meals on Wheels; or to her church, Westside Methodist in Great Falls.