Donald C Thorson & Marguerite R Lemoing

Earlier Years

Donald Curtis Thorson was born on December 22, 1928, at his grandparents' home in West Decorah, Iowa, to Elmer Theodore Thorson and Sadie Julia Woldt. On November 13, 1931, Marguerite Ruth LeMoing was born at the Swedish Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to John Mathurin LeMoing and Ruth Elisabeth Swenson. Before their lives joined, both Donald and Marguerite graduated from Edison High School in Minneapolis. Marguerite went on to graduate from the Fairview Hospital School of Nursing, while Donald completed his education at Augsburg College and Luther Theological Seminary.

Marriage

The couple was united in marriage on October 3, 1952, at Concordia Lutheran Church, located at 22nd and Fillmore Street NE in Minneapolis.

Family Life

Following their wedding, the newlyweds established their first residence at 3901 Stevens Avenue South in Minneapolis, where they resided from October 1952 until June 1953. From June to August 1953, they moved temporarily to Houston, Minnesota, where Donald served the Houston Lutheran Parish. They then returned to Minneapolis, living at 22nd and Fillmore Street NE and working as custodians of Concordia Lutheran Church until June 1955. On June 19, 1955, Donald was ordained into the ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Donald’s ministry next took the family to New Rockford, North Dakota, where they lived from June 1955 until April 1959 while Donald served the Kvernes-Stavanger Lutheran Parish. This period included a brief transition during the winter and spring of 1958 when Donald studied philosophy at the University of Minnesota and the family stayed in a parsonage mobile home in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, before Donald returned to Gospel ministry. In April 1959, the family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Donald took a call at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church. In Milwaukee, they lived at 3921 Highland Boulevard until May 1961, and then at 726 N. 31st Street until September 1964. In September 1964, they relocated to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, where Donald served Central Lutheran Church. They initially lived at 610 Mansfield Street, but on May 5, 1975, the family established their long-term residence at 327 Marshall Street.

Children

Donald and Marguerite had four children, listed chronologically as follows: Kathryn Ruth Thorson was born on August 25, 1954, at Fairview Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was baptized at Concordia Lutheran Church. She married Daniel Craig Brink on April 8, 1978. Steven Theodore Thorson was born on April 9, 1956, at Catholic Hospital in New Rockford, North Dakota, and was baptized at Stavanger Lutheran Church. He married Debra Marie Kullberg on August 22, 1987. Jeanette Marie Thorson was born on May 25, 1959, at the Milwaukee Pavilion in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was baptized at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church. She married Charles Rolf Arnquist on September 22, 1990. Gregory Michael Thorson was born on May 12, 1961, at the Milwaukee Pavilion in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and was baptized at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church (some family records document his birth as May 10, 1961). He married Rhonda Rae Poirier on December 29, 1984.

Later Years

In August 1987, Donald resigned from Central Lutheran Church and accepted a call as active pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Hallie, Chippewa Falls, which was affiliated with the American Association of Lutheran Churches. Donald served as the pastor of Christ Lutheran Church until September 2005, at which point he became Pastor Emeritus.

Following his retirement from active pastoral service, Donald accepted several temporary ministries, serving Peace Lutheran Church in St. Francis, Kansas, during Lent and Easter of 2006, and Trinity Lutheran in Boscobel, Wisconsin, from October 2006 through October 2009. In 2009, he accepted a four-fold calling.