Thekla Blenker

Thekla Blenker, age 94 of Melrose died Friday, April 29, 2005 at Pine Villa Care Center in Melrose.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30 a.m. Monday, May 2 at St Mary's Catholic Church in Melrose with Rev. Vincent Lieser officiating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery.

Friends may call Sunday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose and one hour prior to the service on Monday at the church in Melrose. Christian Mothers and Sts. Bernard & Elizabeth Council will pray at 6 p.m. followed by parish prayers at 7 p.m.

Thekla Blenker was born October 20, 1910 in Melrose Township, Stearns County, Minnesota to Bernard and Mary (Angelbeck) Hinnenkamp. She was born into a family of five girls and five boys. One other brother died as a child. The family lived on a farm two miles north of Melrose. They are of German descent. She was united in marriage to Gerhard Blenker on September 20, 1932 at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Melrose. They farmed northeast of Melrose in Millwood Township, where they made their home. The couple moved to Melrose in 1967 after retiring from the farm. For thirty years they lived two blocks from the hospital. Thekla's eyesight and hearing eventually diminished and it became hard for her to care for herself. The couple moved to Golden Living Home in New Munich in 1997. She lived there for almost four years, and then at Pine Villa Care Center in Melrose. Thekla belonged to St. Mary's Catholic Church, Christian Mothers and Sts. Bernard & Elizabeth Council.

Survivors include her daughters, Evie Elfering and her husband, Vic of Freeport and Marcy Schmidt and her husband, Roger of Holdingford; 10 grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren; and one great great grandson; brothers and sisters, Colette Von Wahlde and her husband, Henry of Melrose, Lidwina Brake of Sauk Centre, Irma Otte and her husband, Casimir of Sauk Centre, Herbert Hinnenkamp and his wife, Marie of Melrose, Robert Hinnenkamp of Melrose and Bernie Winter of Greenwald.

Thekla was preceded in death by her parents, Bernard and Mary Hinnenkamp; husband, Gerhard on July 14, 1999; grandson, Bruce Elfering; great great grandson, Mason Vogel; and brothers, Clarence and Isidore Hinnenkamp.

Serving as casket bearers will be Jeff Elfering, Brian Elfering, Dean Elfering, John Schmidt, Chuck Barth and Steve Feldewerd. Serving as cross bearer will be Pam Barth. Scripture bearer will be Mary Feldewerd. Gift bearers will be Sherry Grittner and Cindy Bartholomew. Dan Elfering will be the reader.