Byrnes Henry LEMKE

LEMKE, WHITNEY, HOLLATZ, LINDSAY, HUGHES, SELLNER, VOLKMAN, MITCHELL, MEINDERS, LOVENSON, RABUN

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 10/15/2011 at 13:25:12

June 6, 1922 --- October 2, 2011

MASON CITY - Byrnes Henry Lemke, 89, Mason City, died Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011 at Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City. A memorial service for Byrnes will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 6, at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 419 North Delaware Ave., Mason City, with the Reverend Mark Lavrenz officiating. Inurnment will be held at the Concord Cemetery in Garner with full military honors provided by the Garner VFW 5515. Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. today, Wednesday, Oct. 5, at Hogan Bremer Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 Third Street Northeast, Mason City. Memorial contributions may be made to Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit or a special organization of your choice.

Byrnes H. Lemke, son of William H. Lemke and Ethel (Whitney) Lemke was born June 6, 1922, on a farm near Garner. He was baptized and confirmed at Liberty Methodist Church and attended Liberty Township District No. 8 School. Following his schooling, he worked for various farmers in the Klemme area. He enlisted in the Navy in 1945 serving in the Pacific Zone. After his honorable discharge in 1947, he installed Surge milking equipment, delivered DX petroleum products and started his own electrical business in 1971. He was united in marriage to Stella Hollatz in 1948 at St. John's Lutheran Church northeast of Garner. They made their home in Klemme, for 53 years. They became members of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garner where he served as a trustee for six years. In 2000, they moved to Mason City, attending Bethlehem Lutheran Church. He served on the Klemme Fire Department for 27 years and the town council for 12 years. He was a member of the KADO, American Legion and a lifetime member of the V.F.W. He enjoyed bowling, hunting, wintering in Arizona and his family.

He will be greatly missed by his loving wife of 63 years Stella Lemke, Mason City; two daughters, Brenda Lemke, Pasadena, Texas and Linda (Jay) Lindsay of Rock Falls; son, Byrnes Steven (Jeannie) Lemke of Mason City; eight grandchildren, Amanda (Corey) Hughes, Cassandra, Alexis, Natalie and Noah Lindsay, Heather, Courtney and Abraham Lemke and two great-grandchildren, Ethan and Henry Hughes; brother, William W. Lemke, Weyerhaeuser, Wis. and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters, Helen Sellner, Ethel Volkman, Lorraine Mitchell; three sister-in-laws, LaVonne (Lovenson) Lemke, Lou (Rabun) Lemke, and Margie (Meinders) Lemke; three brother-in-laws, Arnold Volkman, Monnie Mitchell and Ralph Sellner. Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 Third St. N.E. Mason City, Iowa.

Mason City Globe Gazette - Iowa
October 5, 2011