Margaret L. Lemke Obituary
God called Peggy home peacefully on March 3rd at the age of 91. Peggy was born October 9, 1930 in the township of Darlington to the late Walter Frederick "Ole" Meyer and Myrtle Mae "Murt" (Mosley) Meyer. Peggy married Arnold "Arnie" Lemke on August 25, 1951. They were the first couple married at St. John's Lutheran Church in Lannon. They were blessed with five children, twelve grandchildren, and fifteen great-grandchildren.
Peggy is survived by her son Kim (Vickie) Lemke of Menomonee Falls, grandson Jason (Jamie) Lemke of Sussex, great-grandchildren Peyton Gruelke, Cade and Taylor; granddaughter Brooke (Adam) Hansen of Maple Grove, MN ; daughter Jill (James) Dean of Hobart, grandson Joshua (Jena) Dean of Hobart, great-grandsons Odell and Porter; grandson Kyle (Tina) Dean of Green Bay, great-granddaughters Sofie and Stella; granddaughter Shannon (Bryan) Schwebke of Suamico, great-grandchildren Isla, Olivia and Hudson; son Mark (Chris) Lemke of Okauchee, grandson Matthew Lemke of Shorewood; granddaughter Sarah Lemke and fiancé Cory Gasper of Sussex, great-grandson Braydon; great-granddaughters Adison and Harper Sebero; daughter Lynn (Kevin) Schroeder of Wausau, granddaughter Samantha (Bryan) Beckvall of Big Lake, MN, great-grandsons Mason and Jack, grandson Jonathon Schroeder of Falls Church, VA; daughter Jane (Michael) Janse of Appleton, grandson Cayden (Brooke) Janse of Appleton, grandson Chandler Janse of Appleton, granddaughter Mikayla Janse of Appleton. Also survived by her sister Evelyn (Meyer) Cooper of Brookfield and sister-in-law June Lemke of Lannon, one niece and four nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, father-in-law Arnold Andrew (Steve) Lemke, mother-in-law Rosa Edna (Fredrick) Lemke, and brother-in-law Vernon Lemke.
On a small rural Darlington farm during the Great Depression, Ole and Murt Meyer welcomed their first child, Peggy, a curly blonde locked girl into the world. Peggy's only sister, Evelyn, was born four years later. Peggy attended Ames Branch, a one room schoolhouse for first grade and the Meylor School for second through sixth grade. Her love of learning came early as she enjoyed listening to the upper grade lessons being taught and studied their lessons as well as her own. In 1942, the family bought a nine acre farm in the outskirts of Darlington with three cows and some chickens. Her father, who had no sons, taught her how to do many farm chores and to shoot a 12 gauge shotgun.
At age 12, her parents were in a car accident which tragically took the life of her father and critically injured her mother. After months of recuperation, her mother moved her two girls to downtown Darlington. To help out the family, she got her first job delivering the Rockford Morning Star paper at 4 am on the five dollar used bike her parents bought. Peggy attended public grade school through her freshman year at Darlington High School.
In 1946, her mother married Thomas McCarthy and they moved to Platteville where she started her sophomore year. Within three months his job took them to Menomonee Falls, where she attended high school. Peggy worked after school and Saturdays at Gessert Dime Store. She was a cheerleader, had the lead in the school play, and was voted DAR representative in her senior year. In 1948, she graduated with honors from Menomonee Falls High School and was chosen by her classmates to give the patriotism speech at her graduation.
Peggy was an outstanding student who always wanted to be a math teacher; however due to her family circumstances, college wasn't possible. Instead, she became a secretary at Germantown Mutual Insurance, where she worked for four years. Peggy started dating Arnie months after they both graduated from Menomonee Falls High School. After a two year courtship, they were married and started their family.
To her, motherhood meant everything. She always said her greatest achievements in life were her five precious children. Peggy instilled in her children a love of cooking, baking, sewing and gardening. Throughout her life, she was a sounding board for the events of their lives as a confidant and a master "advice giver.".
When her husband started Arnie Lemke Stone in 1963, she became the company secretary and treasurer. After a couple of years, a second dump truck found Peggy at the wheel, following Arnie to Illinois and Indiana, until hired help took over the driving. They built their first home near Lannon and lived there for 19 years. Peggy along with her family created an endless amount of fun-loving memories, experiences, and traditions to be cherished forever. Family fun was important to Peggy. Sundays at the ballpark with the whole family followed by family team picnics, and Saturday nights teaching her children to dance to the music of Lawrence Welk in their living room.
In 1969, they bought a lot on Moshawquit Lake about 20 miles from Shawano. She designed their gorgeous lake home where they lived for 25 years. While continuing her full-time office work, her weekdays were spent golfing and maintaining their beautiful home and yard. Weekends found Peg entertaining and pontooning with family and friends. Dance was always an important part of Peggy's life, having learned to dance at an early age by standing on her father's shoes. That love of dancing continued with her partner of 70 years. Arnie and Peggy spent many evenings dancing to waltzes and polkas at home, at the Sussex VFW, at the Cotton Patch and family weddings.
In the winter of 1994, at the age of 64 on a trip through Florida, Peg and Arnie fell in love with Timber Pines, a golfing community in Spring Hill. Peggy redesigned the condo located on the golf course. They spent thirteen winters soaking up the warmth and enjoying the breezes off the Gulf of Mexico. As an avid golfer, her crowning achievement was a "hole-in-one" on the 15th hole at the Riverside Golf Course. She passed her love of golf onto her five children.
In 1998, Lake Minocqua lured them north where she again designed a beautiful lakefront home that they lived in for 13 years. The area wildlife brought great pleasure, except the many 'deer visitors' who ate many of their newly planted trees and flowers. Peg and Arnie enjoyed family fun boating, fishing and golfing. In 2008, they moved to Woodlake Circle in Oconomowoc, overlooking a conservancy which was home to a diversity of wild animals which they enjoyed watching and feeding. Peggy's love of reading, into the wee hours of the morning, found her finishing a novel a day. She received her first passport at age 82 and, with her three daughters, spent twelve days in Switzerland visiting her grandson Jon. The highlight of the trip was riding a gondola to the mountainside town of Reuti where they walked the streets of her great-grandparent's hometown.
After Arnie's passing, Peggy finally agreed to move close to her three daughters. Renaissance Assisted Living in DePere, was to be her home. She said as she saw her apartment, "If I were to design a place to spend the final days of my life, it would be here". We would like to thank all the caregivers at Renaissance Assisted Living, involved in Peggy's care, (especially Michael) and all the nurses at Unity Hospice. Your kindness and compassion will always be remembered and appreciated.
Peg and Arnie's lives were forever guided and blessed by God through the Lutheran churches they attended: St. Johns-Lannon, Grace-Menomonee Falls, St. James- Shawano, Forest Oaks-Spring Hill, FL, Rock of Ages-Minocqua, St. Paul and St. Matthew-Oconomowoc, and Crown of Life-Hubertus.
Voted "most likely to succeed" in high school, Peggy accomplished that as a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend, neighbor, and a loving Christian role model. She truly left her mark as "our angel on Earth" and will be deeply missed by all that knew and loved her.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to Crown of Life Lutheran Church in Hubertus, WI and Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS) would be appreciated.
Visitation will be Thursday, March 10th at Crown of Life Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1292 Tally Ho Trail, in Hubertus from 10 am until time of service at noon. Luncheon to follow and private burial at Sunnyside Cemetery.
