Judy Mae Thiel, age 84, of Miller, passed away on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at Good Samaritan Society in Miller. Her funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m., on Friday, September 19, 2025 at Trinity Lutheran Church with burial to follow at GAR Cemetery in Miller. Visitation, with her family present, will be one hour prior to the service at the church.

Judy Mae Kost was born on August 14, 1941 in Highmore, South Dakota to parents, Theophil R. and Elsie A. (Christman) Kost. She attended school in Ree Heights, Florence Township Country Schools and Miller High School, where she proudly graduated as valedictorian in 1959.

Judy married Joseph J. Thiel on June 11, 1960 in Fairfax, South Dakota. Judy and Joe lived their entire lives in Miller, raising their daughters Holli and Staci.

Once graduating high school, Judy started her working career at the Heidepriem Widmeyer Law Office, the Federal Land Bank, and at the Prairie Good Samaritan Center for 32 years. She was always in business administration. During her retirement, she enjoyed working at Pop-a-top, Turtle Creek, and Andy's Antiques.

Anyone who knew Judy knew she loved to collect butterflies. She also enjoyed reading, watching Westerns and game shows. She also loved to travel internationally with her flight attendant daughter Holli. She enjoyed watching her husband Joe play pool and keeping track of her grandsons and great-grandchildren's many activities.

She is survived by her daughters, Holli (Chip) Doss of Atlanta/Newnan, GA and Staci (Mike) Aesoph of rural Highmore, SD; five grandsons, Austin (fiancée Michelle) Auch of Phoenix, AZ, Andrew Aesoph of rural Highmore, Joe (Siara) Aesoph of Chamberlain, Nathan (Bailey) Aesoph of rural Highmore, and Oliver (Lexi) Aesoph of rural Highmore; and 8 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Joe and her uncle Edwin Kost.