Brunken, Mrs. Brunke (Catherine) 1862-1942

BRUNKEN, DIRKS, OETKEN, RENKEN, JOHNSON, LAUCHSTADT

Posted By: Janet Schuldt, Volunteer (email)
Date: 1/4/2011 at 15:17:06

Le Mars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, Le Mars, Plymouth, Iowa, USA FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6,1942

Old Resident Passes Away Catherine Brunken Resident Sixty Years

Mrs. Catherine Brunken, 80, resident of Plymouth county since girlhood, died Tuesday night at the home of her son, Herman Brunken, in Elgin township.

Mrs. Brunken was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Dirks and was born October 19, 1862, at Marx, Ostfriesland, Germany, where she was brought up and confirmed in the Lutheran church. She came to America with other relatives in the spring of 1881 and settled in Plymouth county. The year following she was united in marriage with Ranke Oetken and four children were born to them, the oldest dying in infancy. Mr. Oetken died in 1890, leaving her with three little children.

She was united in marriage with Brunke Brunken, May 21, 1893, and they were the parents of five children, the youngest dying in infancy, Mr. and Mrs, Brunken farmed in Grant and Elgin townships for many years. They came to live in Le Mars in 1918 when they retired from active farming, Mr. Brunken died in 1932 and the year following Mrs. Brunken went to live on the old home place in Elgin township with her son, Herman. She had been failing in health for several years and the last three months had been bedfast. She died Tuesday night, the members of her family all being with her when the end came.

She leaves her children, Ranke Oetken of Akron Mrs. Gerritt Renken, John Oetken, Mrs. William Johnson of Le Mars, Herman Brunken of Elgin township, Fred Brunken of Grant township and Bruno Brunken of Struble, thirty grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. She also leaves two brothers Harm Dirks in California and Dick living in Minnesota, and a sister, Mrs. Meta Lauchstadt of Le Mars.

The funeral will be held at St John's Lutheran church in Le Mars at 1:30 p. m. Rev. L. L. Belk, the pastor, officiating; and interment will be made in the Grant township cemetery. The Mauer funeral home is in charge of arrangements