Obituary of Zigrida Thiel

Zigrida Thiel, 85, of Port Murray, NJ (formally of White Township, NJ) passed away on December 7, 2020 at home with her loving family by her side. Daughter of the late Karl Vensko and Vera Kanders, Zigrida (better known as Zigi to her friends and family) was born on March 29, 1935, in Liepaja, Latvia. In 1944, with the USSR Red Army approaching, she and her mother fled Latvia ending up at a Displaced Persons Camp in Esslingen, Germany. She never saw her father again. In 1950, at the age of 15, she immigrated to the United States. Zigrida met the love of her life, Werner Thiel, who had emigrated from Germany in 1954. They were married on May 12, 1956, and together celebrated 57 years of marriage prior to his passing on July 30, 2013. Zigrida was a homemaker who loved taking care of her husband and family. She enjoyed gardening and sewing; her hands were rarely still. She was a past member for many years of the Warren Garden Club. She will be remembered for her artistic skills. Her passions included painting with oils and watercolors. She was also very talented at needlework, saying it was like painting with thread. Most of all, she loved and treasured her family. She will be dearly missed and forever in our hearts. She is survived by her daughter, Nancy Pershyn and her husband Brian; her son, Timothy Thiel and his wife Melanie; her cherished grandchildren, Victoria, Sonya and Steven; her brother, Harold Person; her sister-in-law, Heike Thiel, several cousins and many nieces and nephews. A graveside service will be held privately at Belvidere Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Zigrida's name to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-1942, http://www.stjude.org/ Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Warren Hills Memorial Home, 234 W. Washington Avenue, Washington, NJ 07882.