Floyd Ralph Thiessen

Floyd Ralph Thiessen was born April 29, 1935 to Peter and Kaete (Regier) Thiessen of rural Whitewater, Kansas. He went home to be with the Lord on July 23, 2022, at the Mesa View Senior Living Facility in Canadian.

Country schools were his grade school years. After graduating from high school at Berean Academy in Elbing, Kansas, he attended Grace Bible Institute in Omaha, Nebraska, where he met his wife Lovella, another Thiessen. They were married October 14, 1956 at the ZOAR Mennonite Church near Inman, Kansas. This union was blessed with five children: Kathy, Cyndy, Steve, Brad and Doug.

He served his country from 1957-59 and in 1960, his pastorate years began at the Fargo, Oklahoma United Church. Then a move to South Dakota to the Calvary Chapel and in 1965 the family moved to rural Follett where he served the St. John Congregational Church for 29 years. After 34 years in a full-time pastorate, he continued serving at the Lipscomb Union Church and helping many congregations for another 21 years.

Floyd’s life continues serving as he gave his body to science with the organization Genesis Legacy.

His last years living in Lipscomb gave him the opportunity to serve on the Board as well as President of the Board of the Wolf Creek Heritage Museum.

Music was a large part of his life, coming from a singing family. He and his own three sons sang as a quartet, and the family enjoyed giving programs. He also shared this talent with the churches and communities where he lived and served.

Preceding him in death were his granddaughter Leisha Burrus, his parents and ten siblings: brothers Herbert, Walter, Leonhard, Arnold, Willard and David; sisters Edna Flora, Wilma Stucky, Esther Stucky and Lois Frey, also his sister-in-law Evelyn and her husband George Ens, and sister-in-law Arlene Thiessen.

Survivors include his wife, Lovella; one sister Selma Entz of Whitewater, Kansas; Lovella’s brother Harold Thiessen of Inman, Kansas and her sister Rosalie and Leland Flickinger of Hesston, Kansas. His daughters Kathlyn (Rennie) Burrus and Cynthia (Tom) Bergmaier, his 3 sons Steven (Eileen), Bradley (Tanya), and Douglas (Jenny). Also eleven grandchildren: Caitlin, Philip, Chelsi, Kayleen, Brielle, Kristen, Kara, Lyndsi, Matthew, Kyle and Shannon. There are thirteen great-grandchildren: Abigail, Allison, Caleb, Brylee, Molly, Collins, Evelyn, Kova, Callum, Henry, Thaddaeus, Graham and Rosalie.