Judy Marie Westlund (Thill) passed away on December 2nd, 2023 with her daughters by her side after a long battle with dementia.

Judy was born July 30th, 1941 to Robert and Virginia (Berenbach) Thill in St. Paul, MN. She grew up in Fox Creek, Wisconsin. Judy had many fond memories of the Fox Creek area and the general store which her parents built and operated. They sold groceries, gas, bait, and operated a deer farm where customers could feed the deer. She learned to drive at age 10 on her father’s model T pickup and spent summers with her siblings seining minnows to sell at the family’s general store.

Judy attended the Bunyan country school and graduated from Unity High School in 1959. She then moved to the Twin Cities and began work at Twin Cities Federal Bank. While at Twin Cities Federal Bank she played softball and pitched on a team that won the Minneapolis Softball Championship in 1960. Judy also sang with the Twin Cities Federal Bank Choir and they recorded a Christmas record. (This said record was used to torture her children; whenever they were misbehaving  all she had to say was “should I get out the record and play it?”) Yes, Judy had quite a sense of humor.

In March of 1960 Judy met her future husband, Lloyd Westlund, at a dance in West Sweden, just north of Frederic and they were married October 15th of that same year. Lloyd and Judy lived in Cushing for a short time before moving to St. Croix Falls where they raised their 3 daughters, Nancy, Penny, & Sally.

Judy began working at the St. Croix Falls High School in the early 1970’s as a study hall supervisor and after a few years she took the position as the secretary to the High School Principal where she remained until she retired. Though working full time, Judy made time to be a 4H leader, a 4H softball coach, a cake decorator, a seamstress, and the owner of Westlund Realty. In addition, she often chauffeured the kids and their friends to the beach in the famous yellow scout.

Judy loved to travel and was able to visit most every state along with Mexico, Germany, Switzerland, and the Canary Islands. Judy and Lloyd enjoyed their motorhome trips and their group camping weekends which she continued to do long after Lloyd’s passing. Judy spent the final 3 years of her life in a care center in Annandale, MN.

Judy is preceded in death by her father and mother, Robert Thill and Virginia Thill; husband; Lloyd, brother, Jim Thill; brother-in-law, Steve Wiseman; sister-in-law, Doris Davis, and infant granddaughter, Ginger Anderson.

Judy is survived by her children, Nancy (James) Anderson of Luck, WI, Penny (David) Hogberg of Annandale, MN, Sally (Gary) Spanel of Osceola, WI; grandchildren Bryan (Paula) Anderson, Tiffany (Anthony) Osumi, Jared (Terri) Anderson, Kelli (Matt) Bronder, Kirsten (Jay) Horner, Traci (Aaron) Boche; 14 great -grandchildren; sister, Jeanne Wiseman; sister-in-law, Sherry Thill, and special and devoted friends Bill & Marilyn Kiska.

A special thank you to the staff at the Annandale Care Center where Judy resided in her final years.

Last Update: Dec 06, 2023 1:12 pm CST