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The Enterprise, White Salmon, WA., November 14, 1968, page 5

STEFFEN-THILL SERVICES TO BE HELD SATURDAY

Funeral services will be held Saturday for Michel Steffen-Thill, who passed away November 12 at Chenowith Garden Court in The Dalles, at the age of 86.
Mr. Steffen-Thill was born July 17, 1872, in Luxemburg. Surviving him are two daughters, Maria Del Carmen Palmer (Mrs. Robert Palmer) of The Dalles, Oregon and Maria Asuncion Loren of Barcelona, Spain, and two grandchildren.
Services will be held Saturday, Nov.16, at 10:30 a.m at the Methodist Church in White Salmon, with Rev. Kaelin officiating. Interment will be in the Goodwill Cemetery in White Salmon.

The Enterprise, White Salmon, WA., November 21, 1968, page 1
Includes portrait

FINAL RITES HELD HERE SATURDAY FOR MICHEL STEFFEN-THILL, ENGINEER

Mr. Michel Steffen-Thill, diplomate in Engineering, was born in Merch, Luxembourg (Europe) in a Spa owned by his parents and in which the Grand Duchess Charlotte spent her summers during her childhood.
His first studies were in Luxembourg but after his father died he was sent to the Jesuit Boarding School in Verdum, France. There, the 27th of May, 1897 he received confimation and graduated. Moving to Berlin, he finished his studies in 1909 to become Diplomate in Mining Engineering.
To exploit some deposits of platinum, he moved to Spain, a country which he always loved as much as his own. From 1910 to 1968 (May) he had organized 58 factories of cement, 7 of magnesite, and 12 of refractory materials. He was active in developing gold deposits in Russia and other countries, after which he helped in developing platinum, silver, barrites, dolomites, petroleum and other mineral resources.
A tireless traveller, with a high sense of responsibility before God and man - generous with the humble, friend of Spain's last Monarch, Don Alfonso XIII, Mr. Steffen-Thill stood in the forefront of mineral development in Spain. Thanks to his initiative and vast acquaintance, there is not a province in Spain which does not know the name of my good father.
He was able to continue his engineering career during World Wars I and II, working with the Allies in the reconstruction of Germany. However, the Spanish Civil War destroyed the family resources and several members of the family.
On March 12, 1922, Mr. Steffen-Thill embarked at South Hampton, England for the United States of America together with his only brother, a medical doctor and some Belgian engineers. His recollections of those days were happy ones when America was a booming young nation. He worked in petroleum in the Gulf littoral. After the death of his brother in Chicago, September 12, 1927, he returned to Spain and paid no further attention to the many offers of work in the U.S A.
A faithful believer in the Almighty, he respected His Holy commandments. He understood the feelings of all races and creeds. His motto was, "Live and Let Live." By natural law he has had to make the last journey for which we are all destined and for which he was always prepared before the Merciful Father. His loss will he felt keenly by those who knew and loved him. But his heart was full of joy in the assurance that his memory will be with us always.

Maria Palmer

Funeral services were held Saturday, November 16th at 10:30 a.m. In the Methodist Church at White Salmon with Rev. Donald Kaelin officiating. Jane Halver was organist. Interment was in the local Goodwill Cemetery in White Salmon, Washington.