ROSCHKE, Marcella Bernhardt (Thompson) 1918-2003

ROSCHKE, THOMPSON, SADLER, COLE

Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 5/10/2012 at 11:42:50

Marcella Bernhardt Thompson was born April 25, 1918, in Bismark, ND, daughter of Roy and Grace (Sadler) Thompson. She spent the first 18 years of her life growing up in Oelwein, IA, a thriving Railroad community. She graduated from Oelwein High School in 1936 and in the fall entered Gates Business College in Waterloo.

Her first employment was at the Rath Packing Company where she later met and married her husband, Carl Roschke, who was also employed there. They were married October 21, 1939 at First Lutheran Church in Waterloo. He joined the service in October 1942, during WW II.
In the fall of 1944 she began working for the Chicago Great Western Railroad in the Freight Office in Oelwein. After Carl's return in December 1945, they purchased an acreage North of Waterloo. Soon after Carl was employed at the Waterloo Post Office as a Clerk and Marcella continued working part-time through the years for the Rock Island, Illinois Central, and WCF&N Railroads. She retired in 1980 from the Chicago Northwestern.

Marcella was baptized together with her parents, brother, and sister in law Luella Thompson at the Christian Church in Oelwein in April 1939. She was confirmed in the Lutheran Church in 1947 and a member of Zion Evangelical Church since 1956. Carl and Marcella were 50 year plus members of the Masonic Lodge and Order of the Eastern Star respectively. She was Past Worthy Matron in 1976 and has been the organist since 1966. She survived heart by-pass surgery and ovarian cancer. They shared a love of dancing. Marcella also enjoyed playing the organ, golfing, and bowling. They did a lot of traveling and went on twelve Cruises to various parts of the world besides bus trips in the United States.

Marcella is survived by her husband Carl, daughter Jan Marie and her husband John Cole of Waterloo. She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers Eldon and Kenneth.

[Source: Locke Funeral Home]

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SSDI:
Name: Marcella Roschke
State of Issue: Iowa
Date of Birth: Thursday April 25, 1918
Date of Death: Thursday October 02, 2003
Est. Age at Death: 85 years, 5 months, 7 days
Confirmation: Verified
Last known residence: City: Waterloo; Eagle Center; Orange
County: Black Hawk
State: Iowa