Erna Welke

VISITATION:

9-10:30 a.m., Saturday, January 28 at Zion Lutheran Church, 110 E. Grand Ave., Chippewa Falls

SERVICE:

10:30 a.m., Saturday, January 28 at Zion Lutheran Church, 110 E. Grand Ave., Chippewa Falls

Erna E. Welke, 103, of Chippewa Falls, died peacefully surrounded by her family on Wednesday, January 25, 2017 at the Chippewa Manor.

She was born October 8, 1913 in Fall Creek to Amanda (Rosentrader) and Ernest Zich. She was raised in Fall Creek, where she also attended school.

On June 6, 1937 Erna married Edwin G. Welke at St. John's Lutheran Church in Fall Creek. The couple farmed in Fall Creek and in 1944, bought a farm in Cadott. In 1947, they moved to Chippewa Falls where they raised their family. She had been a resident of the Chippewa Manor since 2004, and was a longtime member of Zion Lutheran Church in Chippewa Falls.

Erna had a love for horses, and enjoyed when her granddaughter brought them for visitsthey even brought the surrey with the fringe on top to the Chippewa Manor! Erna also enjoyed embroidery, puzzles, gardening, and baking homemade bread.

She is survived by daughters, Dianne Schroeder, Marlene (Jim) Paulson, all of Chippewa Falls; son, Eugene (Linda Darlene) Welke of Reading, Michigan; daughter-in-law, RoseAnn Welke of Chippewa Falls; a sister, Evelyn Mueller of Eau Claire; 11 grandchildren; 5 step-grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; several great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Edwin on June 15, 2005; brothers, Marvin, Elgart, Ewald and Edward Zich; sisters, Margaret Nelson, Mabel Bertzer, Selma Welke, and Olga Bates; a son-in-law, Howard Schroeder in 2003; and her son, Earl Welke in 2008.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, January 28 at Zion Lutheran Church, Chippewa Falls with Rev. Charles Yunghans officiating. Following the service, Erna's granddaughter, Linda Johnson and her husband Tim's horse-drawn hearse will lead the funeral procession to Forest Hill Cemetery, Chippewa Falls, where Erna will be laid to rest.

A visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until the time of service at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Lutheran Womens Missionary League, (LWML), c/o Zion Lutheran Church, 110 Grand Ave., Chippewa Falls, WI 54729.