Thuesen, Harriett
THUESEN, Harriett
Harriett Mathis Thuesen, 80, died on April 12, 2023, at her home in Atlanta, after a long illness. She was the daughter of the late Harry F. Mathis and Clarice Wyatt Mathis of Melber, KY. She is survived by her husband, Gerald J. Thuesen, Atlanta; two sisters, LaDonna Bailey (Raymond), Mayfield, KY, and Carolyn Obermark, Florence, KY; three nieces, Susan Berry (David), Edgewood, KY, Julie Menkhaus (Doug), Cincinnati, OH, and Robin Bailey, Georgetown, KY; four nephews, Peter Obermark (Sherri), Cincinnati, OH, John Rudolph (Krista), Central, SC, Dan Rudolph (Jinman), Greer, SC, and Richard Bailey (Shannon), Georgetown, KY; two stepdaughters, Dyan Thuesen Jacobus, Atlanta, GA, and Karen Hannah (Craig), San Rafael, CA; three step-grandchildren, Emilie Jacobus, Katie Jacobus, and Abe Hannah; and several great-nieces and great-nephews. She was predeceased by sisters, Mae Rudolph and Faye Mathis; and brother, Edward Mathis.
Harriett grew up in Melber, KY, and commuted to Murray State University in the early '70s, where she earned a Master's Degree in Speech and Hearing Pathology. She specialized in audiology, and her first position was at Easter Seals of West Kentucky. She relocated to Atlanta for a position as an audiologist for the Cobb County School District, where she met Gerald Thuesen on a blind date. After marriage, and then retirement, they enjoyed world travel and spending summers in their family cabin in Frisco, Colorado, welcoming family and friends for visits when they were in the area.
Harriett was an avid reader, participating in many book clubs, and also enjoyed classical music. She was known for her impeccable memory of family events and history, and was a passionate advocate for education. She and her husband, Jerry endowed the ISyE Postdoctoral Fellowship program at the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Tech College of Engineering. Memorial gifts may be made to this fellowship program.
