Theresa Ann (Felder) Troester

Theresa Ann Felder Troester passed away Monday, April 28, 2025, very peacefully in her home in Vernal, Utah at the age of 93 surrounded by her family. She was born March 23, 1932, in Wadena, Iowa, the youngest child of six children born to Albert J. Felder and Rosalia Miller Felder.

She grew up in Guttenberg, Iowa, attending St. Mary's Catholic elementary and high school. After graduation she worked in a canning factory canning asparagus, worked at the Guttenberg train depot with her father, demonstrated sewing machines, worked at a department store, and worked for several newspapers at various stages of her life writing many interesting articles, including an article for the North Dakota Outdoors' magazine. After her marriage she worked as a secretary at the Minneapolis Superior Plating Company until the children started arriving.

She met Herbert Gene Troester, a soldier on leave, at a dance. They started corresponding and love blossomed. They were married at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Guttenberg, Iowa on November 12, 1955. Their marriage lasted 69 ½ years, until her death. Together, they had 4 children - Mary Jo (Randy) Wall parents of Hillary, Courtney, and Alyssa; Peter (Jenni) Chen-Troester parents of Kylen, Shayli, and Tiani; Linda (Korey) Atkin; and Daniel (Debbie) Troester-Solbrig parents of Ian, Chloe, Noelle, and Theo. Along with their 10 grandchildren, they have 18 beautiful great-grandchildren.

If Theresa was home, she usually had an apron on. She always had Kleenex in all her pockets. She had a large collection of headscarves and usually wore one when she went out. Theresa was a whiz with finances and kept the family on track money-wise. She wrote 'Grandma Theresa's Budget Book', an accomplishment she was very proud of. She collected many things including Fontanini figurines, Jewel Tea dishes, Ethan Allen furniture, anything by the artist Charles Wysocki - especially art prints and puzzles, and things to go in her Japanese garden.

She saved everything - lightly-used wrapping paper, boxes, plastic containers, etc, etc, etc. She was the most organized maximalist.

Her husband, Herb was prone to bringing home people for supper unannounced and Theresa always made a place for them.

Theresa and Herb traveled to many places, including Europe for their 25" wedding anniversary. Every year there was a trip to Iowa to visit all the relatives. She played violin. One of the highlights of her life was playing the music for the "Fiddler" in a high school production of "Fiddler on the Roof". She also organized our immediate family into the "Troester Family Band" and had us play for a March of Dimes Telethon and several other occasions.

Her Catholic faith was very important to her. She was always active in whichever parish they attended as they moved around the country to different National Wildlife Refuges that Herbert was assigned to. She worked on parish councils, the finance committee, was a member of the choirs, and directed the choir at St. James the Greater Parish in Vernal. In 1997 she was chosen as the St. James Woman of the Year. She was proud of getting all her children out into the world.

Theresa is survived by her husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, as well as some in-laws and nieces and nephews.

She was proceeded in death by her parents, her siblings - Martha, Florence, Raymond, Lawrence and Rita, their spouses and a number of nieces and nephews.

May she sing with the angels!

Funeral Mass for Theresa will be held Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at St. James the Greater Catholic Church (138 N 100 W) at 10:00am, with a Rosary from 9:30am ~ 10:00am at the church. Visitation and viewing will be held Monday evening from 6:00pm ~ 8:00pm at the Phillips Ashley Valley Funeral Home. Following the Funeral Mass Theresa will be cremated and laid to rest at a later date in Iowa.