Cover photo for Shirley Mae Lemke's Obituary
Shirley Mae Lemke Profile Photo
1924 Shirley Lemke 2023

Shirley Mae Lemke

October 4, 1924 — November 23, 2023

Woodruff

 

Shirley Lemke, 99, of Woodruff, Wisconsin, died in the early morning hours on Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 2023, at Milestone Senior Living in Woodruff, WI.                   

Shirley was born at home in Long Lake, Illinois, on October 4, 1924, to Edward and Charlotte Krepel (Schumacher).  She graduated from Grant High School, Fox Lake, Illinois, in 1941 and married Kenneth L. Lemke on November 15, 1941 in Morgantown, Kentucky.  

Shirley held several jobs in the years before becoming a (mostly) full time mother and homemaker, working in Chicago at Western Electric; as a secretary to John Rockefeller Prentice; Wisconsin Scientific Corporation; ABS Corporation, and with her husband, Ken, building the business of Lakeview Screw Machine Products, first in Bartlett, Illinois, and then Elgin, Illinois. She and Ken raised their four children in Itasca and Sleepy Hollow, Illinois.

Shirley’s passions were reading and studying the Bible, praying for her family, and hobbies of ceramics and quilting in Sayner, Wisconsin.  Shirley and Ken were longtime summer residents of Sayner, Wisconsin, which became full-time in the early 1980’s.  She was an active member of the Plum Lake Women’s Club and Friends of the Plum Lake Library in Sayner.  During her service as President of Friends of the Library, she was very instrumental in raising funds to build the new Library in town.  

Shirley was preceded in death by her husband Ken Lemke on October 21, 2000, and sisters Joanne, Joyce, and Eileen.  She is survived by her children Ronald Lemke (Patty) of Markesan, WI, Wendy Lemke Heinen of Cedar Falls, IA, Jill Lemke of Arbor Vitae, WI, and Matthew Lemke of Greendale, Wi., grandchildren Debra, Todd, Gretchen, Erik, and Adam, and great-grandchildren Parker, Grace, Lawson, Cade, Benjamin, Hannah, Margaret, Avery, Kylie, and niece Victoria.

A private family burial was held at Plum Lake Cemetery, Sayner, where Shirley now rests beside Ken.

The family would like to thank the staff of Milestone Senior Living, Woodruff, for their gentle, compassionate care of their mother over the past four years. They truly treated her like one of their own family members.

Memorials can be made in Shirley Lemke’s name to Seasons of Life Hospice Patient Care at https://www.howardyoungfoundation.org/give/

Online condolences may be shared at nimsgernfuneral.com

NIMSGERN FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES IS SERVING THE FAMILY.

 

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Shirley Mae Lemke, please visit our flower store.

Service Schedule

Past Services

Graveside Service

Monday, December 4, 2023

10:00 - 10:30 am

Plum Lake Cemetery

WI

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Guestbook

Visits: 339

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Send Flowers

Send Flowers

Plant A Tree

Plant A Tree