Ardis M. (Jacobsen) LEMKE

LEMKE, COWLEY, JACOBSEN, HADDIX, KINSEY, ZAIGER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 7/1/2012 at 14:41:52

October 28, 1926 ---- June 23, 2012

Ardis M. Lemke, age 85, of Dows, passed away Saturday, June 23, 2012 at the Rehabilitation Center of Hampton. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Wednesday June 27, 2012 at the Morgan United Methodist Church east of Dows. Pastor Erling Schultz will officiate. Burial will be in the Morgan Church Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. Tuesday June 26, 2012 at the Dugger Funeral Home, 100 North Lee Street in Dows, and will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Wednesday. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to the family will be directed to Compassion International, a global Christian ministry releasing children from poverty and to North Iowa Hospice, providing end of life care.

Ardis, the daughter of Harley and Ruby Cowley Jacobsen was born October 28, 1926 in Hampton. She grew up in the Dows area, attended country school #4, and graduated from Dows High School in 1945. Ardis was united in marriage to Virgil Lemke on August 14, 1946 at the United Methodist Church in Dows. The couple made their home farming in the Morgan Township area. Ardis worked as a housewife and mother and helped Virgil farm. Ardis and Virgil were blessed with two sons, Harlan and Dean. In March 1992 they moved to Dows and in November 2011 moved to Leahy Grove Assisted Living in Hampton.

Ardis enjoyed gardening and cooking for her family. Her family was very important and in later years she especially enjoyed time spent with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Ardis was a long-time member of the Morgan United Methodist Church, where she served 45 years as the financial secretary and was also church historian. Ardis took great pleasure in letting her Christian faith direct her throughout her life.

Ardis is survived by her husband, Virgil; two sons, Harlan (Francine) of Burnsville, MN and Dean (Peggy) of Des Moines; five grandchildren, Melissa Lemke of Colorado Springs, CO, Sara (Jay) Haddix of Monument, CO, Mark Lemke of Amarillo, TX, Bryan (Erin) Lemke of Minneapolis, MN, and Nathan (Kristen) Lemke of Braunschweig, Germany; four great grandchildren, Ilsa, Anders, Anna, Adeline, and one to be born in July. Ardis is also survived by two sisters, Vivian Kinsey of Johnston and Shirley (Marvin) Zaiger of Marshalltown, one brother, Doug (Carolyn) Jacobsen of Dows, and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents Harley and Ruby, a brother Galen, and a sister Veloice.

Dugger Funeral Home - Dows, Iowa
http://www.duggerfunerals.com/current-services.html