September 28, 1922 — March 7, 2026
Born the seventh child of fifteen to George and Bertha (Hanna) Albertson in Forest City, Iowa, on September 28, 1922, Tharon Helen Steinmetz passed peacefully March 7, 2026, at the Lutheran Retirement Home in Northwood, Iowa.
She attended Forest City Public School through eighth grade and when old enough, helped care for her younger siblings. Growing up during the “Depression” she developed a work ethic that was hard to match. If there was something that needed doing, it was done with no questions asked and was done her way.
On November 17, 1940, she married Merle C. Steinmetz at the Forest City Methodist Church and became a farm wife, living with her mother and father in-laws, who were renting a farm six miles east of Forest City. On January 23, 1943, son Terry was born, sharing his grandmother’s birthday, and on November 11, 1944, daughter Paulette was born. That living arrangement continued for 17 years until C. B. Steinmetz purchased and remodeled an unused schoolhouse into a house that sat on the corner of the farm. Renting the 160-acre farm on a 50-50 basis necessitated some off farm income and when the children were old enough Tharon worked for the Palace of Sweets making caramel apples in the fall, followed by peanut brittle and English Toffee for Christmas. Even though she worked off the farm she was a mother first and foremost and made sure Terry and Paulette were raised properly with love and affection. That applied as well for grandchildren when they came along, but she didn’t hesitate to spoil them. When Paulina, her mother-in-law, passed away the family moved into the remodeled schoolhouse with her father-in-law, C.B. That was the first house she lived in that had an indoor toilet.
When Terry and Paulette flew the nest, she pursued full time employment at Stitch Craft in Forest City, which later became part of Winnebago Industries, and worked there until her retirement. When Merle retired from the Forest City School and she retired from Stitch Craft they bought a camper trailer and camped with friends and spent winters in Texas. In the early seventies they bought a house in Forest City near the house where she grew up. When Merle passed in February 2001, she wanted to sell the house they had remodeled and move into an apartment. She convinced Terry and Paulette she should do this when at 80 years of age she was on the roof cleaning leaves out of the gutters. She lived in Anderson apartments until Paulette and Les retired and began spending winters in Texas. She then moved into Maple Court in Northwood and spent her days baking cakes, pies, cookies, and Norwegian pastries and distributing them to her neighbors. Angel food cake was her specialty. She spent the last 15 months of her life in the Lutheran Retirement Home following a fall in December of 2024.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Merle; grandson, Wade Torkelson; son-in-law, Les Torkelson; her parents; fourteen siblings; and ten of her 37 nieces and nephews.
Left to cherish Tharon’s memory are her son, Terry (Joanne) Steinmetz and his four children, Dale (Joan) Steinmetz, Beth (Mark) Heller, Laurel (Isaac) Willig, and Sara (Benjamin) Baringer; Tharon’s daughter, Paulette Torkelson; Paulette’s daughter, Valerie (Steve) Melchow; Paulette’s daughter-in-law, Dana Torkelson; nine great grandchildren, two step-great grandchildren; five great-great grandchildren; plus many nieces and nephews and extended family.
A celebration of life for Tharon will take place from 1:00-2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at United Methodist Church in Forest City, Iowa. Inurnment will be in Madison Township Cemetery. Hoff Celebrations – Champion Chapel of Osage is assisting the family with arrangements.
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