Compiled and written by David R. Schleper, 2023
Ione Anne Krell was born July 16, 1917, on a homestead near White Lake, South Dakota to Nicolum “Nick” Frank Krell (1877-1963) and Anna Gardner Krell (1882-1956) – the seventh of eight children.
Ione came to Minneapolis to study cosmetology and arrived in Shakopee in 1938 employed at the Modern Beauty Shop.
In 1945 Ione married William A. Engel. William (Bill) was born on May 26, 1888, in Shakopee, son of Dominick Engel (1849-1919) and Elizabeth Channaux (1858-1941). Bill’s first marriage was to Agnes Demers (1891-1940) in 1910. Bill married Ione in 1945, and together they operated Engel’s Bar at what now is the site of Turtle’s on First Avenue and Lewis Street.
After Bill’s death in 1955, Ione and daughter Barbara remained in Shakopee. In 1957 Ione married John A. Theis. John Alois Theis was born on June 6, 1913, in Marystown, son of Charles Carl Theis (1866-1930) and Mary Caroline Pieper (1870-1943). John’s first marriage was to Mary Adele Simones (1916-1955).
Ione and John’s son, Theodore “Ted” John Theis was born in 1958.
Ione was a caring and generous mother and grandmother to many step-grandchildren. Ione enjoyed all forms of artistic endeavor – painting, sculpting, sewing, needlework.
In 1992, Ione placed second at the state Senior Dining Applemania Contest in Duluth, according to an article by Susan Vieth in the Shakopee Valley News, November 19, 1992, entitled “’Apple Annie’ is a winner for Theis.”
Ione took a dried apple with a whimsical face for its head, and a wired body dressed in clothes that she designed and sewed herself. She entered it at the Shakopee Senior Dining site, at that time at 200 Levee Drive in Shakopee. After it won, it placed first in the region-wide contest, and then finally second in the state.
Ione had been making the dolls for twenty years. In the article in the Shakopee Valley News: “We had a lot of apple trees in our backyard. So I used those. I found that Golden Delicious make good apple heads, but I’ve used all kinds.” The apples are allowed to dry for about a month. During the process, the skin of the apple puckers and creates what appears to be a wrinkled face. Ione sews the clothes, such as bloomers, skirts, and dust caps for women, or a suit and hat for a man.
According to the article, “After the dolls are dressed, Theis positions them in a variety of settings. For instance, the Apple Annie she entered in the contest is sitting in a chair holding a basket of miniature apples. Other apple dolls have been set in front of spinning wheels, in rocking chairs, or, in one case, as a couple holding hands.”
Ione served her community in leadership for the Girl Scouts and later for the Shakopee Senior Citizens Club. Ione was an active member of St. Mark’s Catholic Church for many years – music was a passion and she participated in the church choir as well as a local women’s choral group, the Harmonettes, later named New Jubilee Singers. With this group, she performed at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre and traveled abroad twice. A highlight was singing mass at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and the Alleluia in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Joy Robbins recalled that Ione was a “friend to me through many years in and out of Harmonettes and New Jubilee Singers, and I appreciated her honesty, exuberance, good cheer, kind heart, clear eye, steadfast support, wise advice, and STYLE! A beautiful lady and person, Ione loved a good time and has probably already established a heavenly ‘Hat, prop, and wine’ wall in case there’s a need for costumes and a bit of frivolity!”
Rose Doherty recalled the time Ione moved to All Saints in 2014. She was “always willing to join in activities; she played cards, Farkle, Wii Bowling, created greeting cards and always won first place at costume parties. Once she dressed up as a limping vagrant with whiskers, old hat and sagging trousers. No one recognized her and only after getting really close, face to face, did anyone realize it was Ione!”
Ione Anne Engel Theis died on November 28, 2016, at All Saints Senior Living Facility. A mass of Christian burial happened on Friday, December 16 at The Parish of Saints Joachim and Anne (St. Mark), and she interment was at the Shakopee Catholic Cemetery.
“What an incredible lady. She had such a bright mind, with so many wonderful talents that she lovingly shared with others. I loved her little smile, her gracious ways and her spunk!” said Dixie Schmit.
Bibliography
Vieth, Susan. “’Apple Annie’ is a winner for Theis.” Shakopee Valley News, 19 Nov. 1992.