Laurene Leppke, formerly of Montevideo, died on Saturday, February 23, 2013 at St. Luke’s East Medical Center in Lee’s Summit, MO at the age of 101. Memorial services will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at 9:00A.M. at Peace Lutheran Church, 8420 Blue Ridge Blvd in Kansas City, MO. and on Saturday, April 13th at 1:00 P.M. at St. John’s Lutheran Church near Montevideo, MN. Interment will be in Terrace Lawn Memory Gardens near Montevideo, MN.
Laurene O. (Schmidtke) Leppke was born on July 18, 1911 in Kandiyohi Co., MN to Herman and Helena (Schmidt) Schmidtke. She was batized on July 31, 1911 in Raymond, MN. As a child she moved to the Montevideo, MN area, was confirmed in 1925 at St. Johns Lutheran Church and graduated from Montevideo High School. In August of 1931 she was united in marriage to Alfred Leppke and they farmed south of Dawson, MN until 1952, when they moved back to Montevideo. She taught piano lessons for many years and was an active member of St. Johns Lutheran Church. She enjoyed reading, baking, painting, wood finishing, knitting, crocheting and was a life-long volunteer. In 1983 she moved to the Kansas City area and was active in Peace Lutheran Church. She took an adult course in writing at Raytown High School and wrote many articles and books.
She is survived by three daughters: Dorothy Hinterleitner of Lee’s Summit, MO; Verlie (and Merle) Weckwerth of Montevideo, MN and LaNora Kleerup of Eagle River, WI; nine grandchildren; seventeen great grandchildren and seven great, great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Alfred, two sons-in-law, William “Bill” Hinterleitner and Bertel “Bert” Kleerup and three brothers: Reinhard, Alfred and Luthard Schmidtke and their spouses.