Mrs. Helen Kathleen Thrower - Weigel

WEIGEL, HELEN KATHLEEN THROWER - born April 1, 1924 in Knoxville, never dreamed her life's journey would take her so far and wide, nor for so long. But her mother, Pearl Moore Thrower had prepared her on long railroad adventures criss-crossing this country as a girl. And, during her years at old Knoxville High School (Class of '41) in the Smoky Mountain Hiking club, and at the University of Tennessee, she became a natural leader because of her charm, generosity of spirit, and steady determination. At UT she was in the college of home economics and Phi Mu sorority. When she met my father, Lynn Weigel, and they married during the war, she helped Dad and his brother Bill Weigel create Broadacre Dairy, and eventually Weigel's Jug O' Milk, now Weigel's Inc. When I once asked my mother why she married my father, she replied, "He was the first person I met who was smarter than I was." Their team marriage lasted 68 years until my father died in 2011, they raised their family at Emory Road, Powell, including my sister Rebecca (Becky), an L.A . inner-city school teacher, who died in 1997, and me, Lynn Weigel, Jr., MD. My wife Irene and I reside in Lincoln, Massachusetts, and our children are Sasha, 34, a labor and delivery nurse-midwife in Manhattan, and Jonathan, 28, a third-year PhD student in political economy at Harvard. Over the years Kathleen was a member of Ossoli Circle, the Akima Club, and was on the boards of the Dublin Gallery of Art and the Knoxville Symphony . Kathleen and my Dad were long time members of Church Street United Methodist Church where they were in the Achievement Sunday School Classes. After living the first half of their married life on the farm at Broadacres and traveling on long road trips throughout the country, they were later able to travel extensively to many other countries in Europe, Southeast Asia, and South America, including the village of Albershroda in then East Germany, from whence the original Weigels migrated to East Tennessee in the 1840s. In addition to having a winning game of golf at Cherokee into her older age, Mom also played prodigious amounts of bridge, right up until two weeks ago. And in her later years before Dad died, she became the family archivist, publishing a book called, "Roots and Branches of the Weigel Family." This book traced Lynn's great grandfather Christian Frederick Weigel's immigration from Hamburg to Wartburg, then Knoxville, on to Powell where Lynn's Dad, Walter William Weigel, had started the Broadacre Dairy with home delivered milk. Until her death Kathleen was working on another book of her Moore and Thrower families. Happily, my mother Kathleen graced the recent September wedding of her granddaughter Sasha to Asch Harwood amid gorgeous New Hampshire autumn foliage; her grandson, Jonathan officiated the ceremony. Like her granddaughter, she absolutely sparkled at this happiest of moments. It would be eight weeks later that she died, Sunday, November 30 suddenly after a brief illness, content with her life's accomplishments and substance, and at peace with the rich arc of her life. In her last conversations she spoke of gratitude for the myriad opportunities life had offered her. She especially enjoyed with great satisfaction the milestones and trajectories of her loved ones, including both their career pursuits and their wanderings. She also had a special affection for her nephew Bill Weigel, president of Weigel's Inc, and all his family, as well as her many Thrower nieces and nephews. And she was especially grateful for the kindness and generosity of her friends including her thoughtful and generous neighbor Chuck Sawyer. Being a quick learner, she made many contributions to her universe with her eagerness and energetic spirit, combined with her humility and selflessness. Her presence will be greatly missed by all of us who loved her. Her spark, however, will hopefully live on in each of us. The funeral will take place on Friday at 1:00 p.m. at Church Street United Methodist Church in the Chapel with Reverend Andy Ferguson officiating. The family will receive friends from 12:00 noon until 1:00 p.m. preceding the service. Family and friends are invited to a reception at Kathleen's condominium, 5:00 p.m., following the private interment. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Church Street United Methodist Church, 900 Henley Street, Knoxville, TN 37902 or to Partners in Health, PO Box 996, Frederick, MD 21705-9942. Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel, online condolences may be made at www.rosemortuary.com.

Tributes

Mrs. Helen Kathleen Thrower - Weigel

April 1, 1924 - November 30, 2014