Edith (Meschke) Remke 1937 - 2006

REMKE, VAURN, MESCHKE, MOONEY, BROCKWAY, DOTZLER, KERR, FLYNN, WILKIN, JOHNSON, SMITH, GHEGAN, RENNER, BEEMILLER, WALDTRAUT, NICHLAUS, SCHIMMING, WIGGETT

Posted By: Errin Wilker (email)
Date: 2/23/2007 at 13:12:45

Edith Remke, age 68, of Decorah, Iowa, died Thursday, January 5, 2006, at the Aase Haugen Nursing Home in Decorah, Iowa, following a long illness. Funeral Mass was held Monday, January 9 at St. Benedict’s Catholic Church with Rev. Donald Hawes officiating. Interment was in St. Benedict’s Catholic Cemetery, Decorah. Schluter-Balik Funeral Home of Decorah was in charge of arrangements.

Edith was born March 5, 1937, the daughter of Bruno and Helen (Vaurn) Meschke in Ulm, Germany. Edith attended school in Ulm, Germany. She met Dale Remke, while he was stationed with the US Army and they were married January 17, 1956, in Ulm. To this union, five children were born: David, Doris, Jerry, Donna, and Debbie; with the three oldest born in Germany.

In 1959, they left Germany and came to Decorah, where Edith was a homemaker, raising the children. Edith also worked at Nob Hill, the Abner Hendrickson School, Hawkeye Stages, and retired from Decorah Community Schools. Edith and Dale enjoyed their weekends at their trailer in McGregor, while they still worked full time and later lived there full time after they retired. Edith returned to Decorah three years ago to be near her family.

Edith enjoyed gambling, Senior Citizen bus trips, and watching Wheel of Fortune and NASCAR races that included driver Jeff Gordon. Edith also enjoyed having coffee with her friends and cooking, but she especially loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Edith’s survivors include her two sons, David Remke of Decorah and Jerry (Cindy) Remke of Ridgeway; three daughters, Doris Mooney and Dave Brockway of Waukon, Donna Dotzler and Ken Kerr of Waukon, and Debbie (Jim) Flynn of Decorah; 17 grandchildren, Caleb Remke, Holly Remke, Alicia Remke, Stuart Wilkin, Adam Remke, Aaron (Lisa) Johnson, Brian (Jenni) Mooney, Beth Mooney, Jason Remke, Jill Smith, Jamie Remke, Nichole Dotzler, Tiffany (Charles) Ghegan, Derek Dotzler, Devian Kerr, Paige Kerr, and Jeremy Flynn. six great-grandchildren, Bailey and Kendall Mooney, Hailey and Carter Johnson, Kyleigh Smith, and Miciah Dotzler; two brothers, Kurt Meschke of Osnabruck, Germany, and Guenter Meschke of Chesterland, Ohio; four sisters, Inga Renner of Rosslau, Germany, Erika Beemiller of Scottsdale, Ariz., Vera Waldtraut of North Carolina, and Lotti Nichlaus of Grange Over Sands, England; and two sisters-in-law, Darlyne Johnson of Decorah and Phyllis Schimming of McHenry, Ill.

Edith was preceded in death by her parents, Bruno and Helen Meschke; her husband, Dale Remke on October 26, 1999; her father and mother-in-law, Ray and Vivian Remke; one sister, Irene Wiggett; and one brother, Munford, in infancy.

Casketbearers were Caleb Remke, Brian Mooney, Jason Remke, Derek Dotzler, and Jeremy Flynn.

Source: Waukon Standard, Waukon, Iowa, 11 January 2006