Obituary for Duane H. Thomford

Duane Henry Thomford passed away on Wednesday, January 28,2026 at the age of 82 after a courageous battle against cancer. Duane was born on January 4, 1944 to Henry and Laura (Cordes) Thomford. On August 14, 1965 he married his high school sweetheart Marilyn (Kuecker) and together they raised their four daughters on their family farm in Brownsville. In 1989, they moved to Caledonia however they still continued to work the farm in Brownsville.

Duane was a hard working farmer always changing with the times, starting out with dairy cows, then to beef and the last several years in crops. While farming, he also worked at Leidel Orchards picking apples, the stave mill, sales barn, APN and CarQuest, in addition to always finding odd jobs to tinker with or build.

He was an avid high school basketball fan whether it be girls or boys and received an appreciation gift for being a dedicated fan. He loved his grandchildren and enjoyed spending time with them. He also enjoyed going fishing and gardening in his spare time. Duane and Marilyn took many vacation bus trips around the country. He was able to fulfill a lifelong dream when they took their trip to Alaska.

He was a faithful member of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church. His faith helped him through this difficult time and was a comfort to him and his family.

Duane is survived by his wife Marilyn of 60 years; his daughters, Kari (Alvin) Wentz of Waukon, IA, Wendy (Mike) Woyczik of Brownsville, MN, Deb (Ken) Rotering of Fountain City, WI, and Shelley Noehl of Elgin, MN; and his grandchildren, Kole, Jacob, Lynzie Woyczik, Morgan (Griffin Schneider) and Aidan Noehl, and Drew and Brayden Rotering. He is also survived by his sisters, Betty Tessmer and Shirley (Ted) Lee, brother-in-law, John Kuecker, and many nieces, nephews and long-time friends.

He was preceded in death by his parent; sister, Maxine Kruckow; and brothers-in-law and sisters-in law, Marlin Kruckow, Daryl Tessmer, Kenneth Kuecker, Stanley Kuecker, Stanley Betz, Harold Kruse, Eileen Kuecker, Lilah Kuecker, Gloria Kuecker, Shirley Betz, Kathy Kuecker and Alice Kruse.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at St. John's Ev. Lutheran Church, 650 N. Kingston St., Caledonia. Rev. Tom Schultz will officiate. Burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery. A visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until the time of service Tuesday at the church. Online condolences may be offered at this website.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to the staff at Mayo Clinic Health System LaCrosse, St. Croix Hospice, and Bethany St. Joseph Care Center for all their exceptional care and thoughtful attention.