Oelke, Leslie 1897 - 1952

OELKE, COSTIGAN, BENTE, NICKS, LOOBY, ENGELHARDT, WADDELL, MCDERMOTT, KOEHN, RAMSEY, MATTHEWS, SCHRADER, SHERLOCK, KELLY

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 3/24/2025 at 16:49:46

Clayton County Register, 31 Jan. 1952.

Leslie (Hutz) Oelke, 54, a mortician in Elkader since 1926, died at his home here Sunday, Jan. 27. Funeral services were held at the Peace Evangelical and Reformed church at 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon, the Rev. Paul Kitterer officiating. Burial was in St. Joseph cemetery. Military rites were conducted by the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Mr. Oelke was born at Farmersburg, March 29, 1897, the oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Oelke. He received his early education in the Farmersburg public school and graduated from the Elkader high school in 1917.

Following his graduation he enlisted in the Army and served 18 months overseas during World War I. After his release from the army he attended Washington university in St. Louis, Mo., and the Worsham school of embalming at Chicago. He graduated from the latter school in 1924. He served two years apprenticeship at the Turner mortuary in Cedar Rapids.

Mr. Oelke came to Elkader in 1926 and became actively engaged in his chosen profession, which he continued until the time of his death.

He was married to Cora Costigan Feb. 28, 1922, at St. Louis, Mo.

Mr. Oelke was Clayton county coroner for two terms. He was an active member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Peace Evangelical church, and the Masonic lodge at Farmersburg.

Survivors include his wife, one son, DeVere, a daughter-in-law, Audrey, and four granddaughters of Maquoketa; one sister, Mrs. Elmer Bente of Elkader; a brother, Lloyd, of Garnavillo. His parents and a brother, Floyd, of Independence, preceded him in death.

Pallbeares were Francis Stence, Jack Donlon, Robert Anderson, John Roach, Lester Stahl, Edward Steffen, James Connell and Robert Garms.

Relatives from a distance who attended the services were: Mrs. Marjorie Nicks, Waterloo; Clifford Looby, Chicago; Mr. and Mrs. Karl Oelke, Elroy, Wis.; Donald Oelke, Cassville, Wis.; Mrs. Mabel Engelhardt, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Wadell, Mrs. Emmett McDermott and Margaret Koehn, Cedar Rapids; Sid Ramsey and Bert Matthews, Oelwein; Mr. and Mrs. Henry Schrader, Monticello; Mr. and Mrs. Mart Sherlock and Jackie Oelke, Independence; Mr. and Mrs. James Costigan, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Costigan, and Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Kelly, Lawler.

Plans are now under way for DeVere Oelke to continue his father's business.