Mike Thelander

George E. (Mike) Thelander passed away peacefully on July 5, 2024. He was in the loving home of his daughter, Teresa, and son-in-law, John, and was with family at his time of death. He was 92 years old.

George Edward (Mike) was born on June 5, 1932, in Tulsa, OK to Pearl (Allen) and Carl Thelander. His father, Carl, immigrated from Sweden with his brother, Gus, in order to work in the oil fields. Mike and his mother traveled with the brothers to different locations. It was at one of these towns that Carl became sick. He found out that he had tuberculosis, and a short time later he passed away. This left young Mike, who was eighteen months old, and Pearl alone. They moved to Tulsa, but Pearl had to leave Mike with his grandmother while she found work miles away. After two years Pearl married George Benge, and he became a father to Mike. This is when Mike took the name Benge. He changed back to Thelander after graduating from high school.

Mike was always a hard worker, and as a young boy he took on a paper route to help out at home. He gave 100% to every job he had. A few of the jobs he held were at Rockwell International, Boeing, and the Tulsa Boys’ Home. He was the owner of Tulsa Cabinet Shop and owner of a Tulsa bar. He also served in the US Navy Reserves. Mike’s life was full of many loves and adventures, but one of his greatest loves was his 40 acres in Rose, OK. He loved the country life but drove every day to Tulsa for work. He was great at engineering and building things and built his dream home on his land. He also built a cabin with his father, George, at Fort Gibson Lake. Mike was a very intelligent, gifted, and deep-thinking man. He was a talented self-taught artist who loved to fish and hunt. He was an avid reader, and he loved his family. 

Mike was preceded in death by his father, Carl, his beloved mother, Pearl, and second father, George; his grandson, Joseph, granddaughter, Casey, and his brother, Lovell.

Mike is survived by his three children: Steve Thelander and wife, Risi, Denise Kilgore and husband, Doyle, and Teresa Atkinson and husband, John. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Mindy, Christen, Christy, Michael, Jarrod, and Anna and several great-grandchildren; his sister, Sharon Moody and sister-in-law, Jan Benge; his former wife, Natalia Thelander, and stepdaughter, Yasmin, and her husband Hai Phung and their children Henry and Amelia, as well as four nephews and their families.

Mike is now at the feet of Jesus, reunited with his family. We will miss him, but confident that because of the Good News of Jesus, we’ll see him again.