March 23, 1932 – June 19, 2025
Mary Elaine Lemke, 93, of Sumner, died Thursday, June 19, 2025, at the Hillcrest Home in Sumner.
Funeral services will be held at 11:30 AM, Thursday, June 26, 2025, at Becker & Son Funeral Home in Sumner with Rev. Tracy Hinkel officiating. Interment will follow at St. John Lutheran Church Cemetery, rural Sumner. Visitation will precede services at the funeral home on Thursday starting at 10:00 AM. Memorials may be made to the Sumner Public Library or to the family for later designation.
Mary Elaine Lemke was born on March 23, 1932, in rural Maynard, Fayette County, to Fred and Lillie (Reinhardt) Reinke.
Mary was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Maynard and graduated from Maynard High School in 1949. She married Marvin Lemke on October 3, 1954; to this union four children were born Mark, Julie, Daniel and Timothy. They later divorced. Mary worked at Mercy Hospital and Singer Sewing Machine Company both in Oelwein and Meyer Hardware, Sumner.
Mary was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church and was in several local 500-card clubs (and called on as a substitute in many others). She was a regular patron at the Sumner Library, checking out hundreds and hundreds of books over the years. She listened to and danced to big band music at the Oelwein Coliseum. As proof by her collection of cookbooks and recipe boxes, Mary liked to bake and was well-known for her desserts (most notably lemon meringue pie).
Mary enjoyed playing nickel slots at the casino with family and friends, and spending afternoons visiting the Amish shops in the Hazelton/Oelwein area.
Mary is survived by son, Mark of Sumner and daughter, Julie (Rod) Stark of Cedar Rapids, three grandchildren, five great grandchildren, several nieces and nephews and sister-in-law, Ramona Reinke.
Along with her parents, Mary was preceded in death by sons, Daniel and Timothy, brother and sister-in-law Clifford and Hilda Reinke, and brother Ray Reinke.
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