Vernon C. Gudenkauf

GUDENKAUF, BESLER, SCHEMMEL, BAUER

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 12/4/2014 at 22:29:16

Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA) - Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Vernon C. Gudenkauf, 88, of Dubuque, passed away Monday, March 17, 2014, at Dubuque Nursing and Rehab while surrounded by his family.

A Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 :30 a.m. Friday, March 21, at Church of the Resurrection, Dubuque. The Rev. Joseph Hauer will officiate. Interment will be at St. Paul's Cemetery, Worthington, Iowa. Friends may greet the family from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 20, at Hoffmann Schneider and Kitchen Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 3860 Asbury Road, Dubuque, where there will be a prayer service at 3 p.m.

Vernon was born Aug. 3, 1925, in Hopkinton, Iowa, son of Michael and Catherine (Besler) Gudenkauf. He married Marion Schemmel on Sept. 11, 1947, in Dyersville; she preceded him in death in 1986. He then married Madonna (Jaeger) Bauer on Aug. 3, 1990.

Vernon was raised on the family farm in Hopkinton and was dedicated to farming there until his retirement in 1994. He then moved to Dubuque.

He was a member of Church of the Resurrection and a longtime member of St. Paul's Catholic Church, Worthington. He served on the board at Dubuque Senior Center.

Vernon enjoyed traveling, dancing with Madonna and spending time with family and friends

Those left to cherish his memory include his wife, Madonna, of Dubuque; his children, Kathy (John) Kurt, of Prairie du Chien, Wis., Donna (Tom) Fah, of Cascade, Iowa, Linda (Randy) Robertson, of Iowa City, Joanne (Mike) Grunsted, of Oshkosh, Wis., and Lori (Steve) Boeckenstedt, of Dyersville; his stepchildren, Bill (Robin) Bauer, of Dyersville, Nick (Gail) Bauer, of Marrietta, Calif., Peg (Larry) Bush, of Boston, and Michael Bauer, of Dubuque; his grandchildren, Nick Kurt, Kelly (Mike) Keil, and Kerry (David) Lipanot, Crissy (Steve) Prull, Teri (Curt) Koppes, and Todd (Shauna) Fah, Christopher (Kelly), Derrick, Bryant (Nikki), Chelsey, and Jori Robertson, Daniel and David Grunsted, Stephanie, Jennifer, and Michael Boeckenstedt; his stepgrandchildren, Rob Bauer, Danielle (Ahern) Dull, Chris, Ryan, Nichole and Zachary Bauer; eight great-grandchildren and one on the way; two sisters-in-law, Pearl Recker, of Dyersville, and Gladys Schemmel,of Monticello, Iowa; and two brothers-in-law, Bernard Schemmel and Bud (Bev) Jaeger. of Florida.

In addition to his first wife, he was preceded in death by twin daughters in infancy, Connie and Bonnie; a stepgrandson, Dereck Bauer; and his siblings, Clara Heims, Walter Gudenkauf, Erma Becker, Anna Weber Recker, Catherine Recker, Joseph Gudenkauf, Louis Gudenkauf, Bernadette Kurt and Gladys Mae Faber.

Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.hoffmannschneiderfuneral homes.com.

The family would like to thank Belltower Memory Care Unit in East Dubuque, especially Diana; Hospice of Dubuque and Dubuque Nursing and Rehab.