Tina Luebke

It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Tina Marie Luebke, a faithful servant of Jehovah; daughter of Russell and Violet Luebke; mother of Aubrey Krautkramer; honorary grandma to Anthem and Iona; and a cherished member of Neenah’s Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Tina passed away on February 6, 2026, at age 70, surrounded by family and friends who were family.

Tina was the kind of person who could grow flowers in cement and tomatoes as big as a baby’s head. She had a gift for taking what was ordinary and turning it into something thriving, perfectly organized, and a little magical. Creative to her core, she was shaped by the art world of the 1970s and guided by a Socratic way of thinking that made every conversation feel like it shouldn’t end. Talking with Tina was an absolute joy; conversations with her could last for hours. Iona spent many Friday afternoons with her and once observed that people would say, “Whelp, I gotta get going…” and then immediately begin an entirely new conversation.

Tina had the rare ability to lift up everyone around her. She would light up when she talked about something fascinating. She was incredibly funny—quick, clever, and often understood what you meant before you finished your sentence.

Tina was the first person—and the first woman—in her family to earn a college degree. She was also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), which provided scholarship support during her college years. She graduated from Neenah High School in 1974 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point in 1979. She built a life that held career, faith, and family with pride.

She loved books and learning—but she had standards. As she built her Luebke Library, if she came across a book that was too stupid or too gross, she didn’t donate it; she threw it away. She considered it a public service. She loved knowledge and science, and it always surprised people how much she loved space. She kept an entire album of newspaper clippings from the Space Race filed right alongside her family photos. 

Tina loved telling stories and sharing funny memories, especially about growing up as a farm kid, her son Aubrey, what she was growing in her backyard, and the latest improvements she was making to her home. She also loved saving funny ideas and phrases like little treasures. Sometimes the quotes were from when her now-grown nephews were little and told her they were “going like 90” to explain how fast they were. Other times they were recent, like when we asked Iona how her first day of preschool went and she said, “Good. I made ALL the friends.” And for anyone who heard the story of HER angel, she even kept that illustration saved as her phone background.

She was also a maker. She could turn string into cozy blankets and clay into sculptures. She turned simple ingredients into delicious treats and patiently built things step by step until something small became something wonderful. Bucket by bucket, she collected granite chips and soil from the Neenah yard waste center and transformed her backyard into a charming garden, right down to a tidy little display of granite and fancy stones around her downspout.

Tina was an organized planner and a problem solver. Her closets were full of colorful tags and labels, and her drawer of trade show pens was legendary. She liked to tease that she had so many pens she’d never need to buy another one for the rest of her life—and of course, she was right. Her living room was painted yellow to complement her extensive collection of National Geographic magazines passed down from her father, and her pink glass collection perfectly matched her adorable pink house. Directions were always ready before you could ask; written on the wall of her garage is a bold STOP in Sharpie marker, so no matter who drove her car into her tiny garage, they would know exactly where to stop.

She made the best frosting. And the best au gratin potatoes. And the best mac n’ cheese with chunks of ham. Iona called it “square meat,” and Tina loved to call it that too. Anything she cooked or baked came from a “receipt,” not a recipe, because she thought it was funny to say. And when she told a story, she had a signature way of shifting from her commentary back to the facts: “Okay, fine…” It carried the meaning of, “It’s not okay, but I can adjust.”

Tina lived through many difficult chapters in her life, and she carried them with remarkable courage. She endured, adapted, and kept moving forward using humor, faith, and love to find peace when understanding wasn’t possible. When things felt chaotic, nothing steadied her quite like a good list written on label paper, creating order and calm. Because she had already been through so much, we are profoundly grateful that her final hour was gentle and that she was surrounded by love.

Tina was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1997. She treasured her faith and the hope it gave her. She shared that hope with others, through her travels and often through many thoughtful letters written in her beautiful handwriting. Tina remains in our hearts and, more importantly, in Jehovah God’s loving memory until we see her again.

In addition to your kind words and support, flowers are welcome. Tina talked more than once about having many, many flowers at her memorial, and we are hoping we can come through on that request, which was remembered in the tear-streaked moments after we said our goodbyes. Her phone was full of bouquet photos, and her sketchbooks were filled with flower drawings. Tina loved color and beauty, and a room filled with flowers feels right, something like a Van Gogh painting mixed with a Rose Bowl Parade float. Pink was her favorite color, but she loved all kinds of flowers, so please choose whatever brings you joy. You really cannot go wrong.

Tina’s favorite flower was a bull thistle, which most people see as a weed. She could see the beauty in it anyway. Each year she would let one grow, then snip it just before it went to seed. She had a way of seeing beauty where others overlooked it. She was loved, she is missed, and we are grateful for the laughs we shared and a lifetime of stories that will continue to be told.

Tina Marie Luebke is survived by her son, Aubrey Krautkramer, and daughter-in-law, Leann; her sisters, Jean Brantley, the oldest of the Luebke family and married to Barry, and Nancy Pieper, the youngest and the “baby” of the family, married to Terry; her brother, Richard “Dick” Luebke, married to Jan; her niece, her niece, Melanie Ohlinger, along with her family, Mike, Anthem, and Iona, who knew and loved Tina as their grandma; her dear friends and many loved ones from the Kingdom Hall; and many nieces and nephews who will miss her sense of humor and the joy she brought to being their aunt and great-aunt.

Service Details
A memorial service for Tina Marie Luebke will be held at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Neenah. A visitation with coffee, tea and cookies will follow the memorial service.

Date: March 14, 2026

Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
1209 Winneconne Ave, Neenah, WI 54956

Livestream: Zoom ID and password available upon request

Flowers: Please send flowers to 937 Bridgewood Dr., Neenah, WI 5495672–24 hours before the ceremony