Thelma S. Reus

Thelma was born in Woodlawn, Baltimore County, Maryland, in 1922. She attended Catonsville High School, graduating in 1939 with an Academic degree. She studied at the Watson Secretarial School from 1939-40. Her first job was with Travelers Insurance. She never forgot an experience taking dictation after becoming a secretary for the casualty insurer, Mr. Latham. He used the word “eleemosynary,” relating to charity, which sent her running to the dictionary.

Thelma married Cecil George Euler in 1941. They had a son, Brent, and a daughter, Sandra, and lived in Woodlawn, Maryland. Her husband perished in a plane crash in 1948. Thelma met her second husband, John F. Reus III, at a family party in 1949. They married in 1950, living in Lutherville, Maryland. John adopted the two children from her first marriage. Thelma and John later had a daughter, Diane. They moved from Lutherville, Maryland, to Orlando, Florida, in 1957.

Thelma enjoyed her life as a wife and mother and homemaker. She and John established a home characterized by peace, security, humor, diligence, integrity, and caring. She encouraged her children to excel in all their endeavors, especially education. Family reading time was a treasured tradition. Her home was always welcoming and well appointed. She was an excellent cook and baker as well as a fine seamstress. She made costumes for many a Halloween Trick-or-Treat outing by her children as well as costumes for school functions and recitals. She enjoyed making dresses and was quite the perfectionist in her approach. She always dressed stylishly. She had an eye for putting together color and patterns in clothing and in decorating her home. She made holidays very special by cooking, baking, decorating, and entertaining the family. Friends were treated to the same experience at dinners or special occasions. She loved animals and cherished her dogs and cats over the years. She enjoyed antiquing for fine tableware and other treasures. She belonged to several different Lutheran churches during her time in Florida. Her church family was very important to her. Through church she volunteered by visiting nursing homes. She loved reading throughout her life. A nature lover, she enjoyed feeding and observing birds that would come to her yard. She and her husband John shared their life together for almost 73 years. Together they provided a loving and caring home for their children and for one another. John died in March of 2023. Throughout her life, Thelma liked to recount anecdotes about her childhood, her family, and friends. She was exceptionally pretty all her life. She was a woman of courage, humor, strength, and faith, who made a practice of focusing on her blessings.

Thelma is survived by her son Brent, her daughter Sandy Register and son-in-law Sam, and her daughter Diane Reus and son-in-law Lewis Rosen, along with five grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and 13 great-great-grandchildren.

The family is grateful for those who helped provide loving care in her last days: Mary Noss, Executive Director, Heritage Waterside Luxury Senior Living, and Halifax Health Hospice.

Thelma asked, in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to Trinity Lutheran Church in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, or to The Nature Conservancy.

A memorial service for Thelma will be held Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 1:00 PM at Volusia Memorial Funeral Home, Ormond Beach, Florida.