ROSE STEINKE

Rose Marie Steinke, age 86, passed away on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, at the Valley VNA, Neenah. She was born October 17, 1934, the oldest of seven children of G. Donald and Marie (Carpenter) Hoeft, in the Town of Rushford, Winnebago County, and grew up in West Bloomfield in Waushara County. She was baptized, confirmed, and married at Borth United Methodist Church.

She was married to Milton Steinke on May 23, 1953 when Milt completed basic training at Great Lakes Naval Station. His duty assignments took them to Norfolk and Miami. She was employed at several retail and office jobs in the early years. Rose Marie was a cook at the Fremont Elementary School during the years that her children attended school there and until moving to Neenah in 1978. She then worked part-time at Kimberly-Clark for a number of years. She was an active member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Fremont, while they lived there and then Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Neenah. They enjoyed camping, traveling, and most especially supporting children and grandchildren in all of their activities. Her appreciation of nature and God's creation were constant. She devoured books and never missed reading daily devotions. She liked her meals, soup, and coffee served hot, “the hotter, the better”. Her list of family and friends to be remembered with cards and notes was extensive.

The marriage was blessed with four children, eleven grandchildren, and fourteen great grandchildren. She is survived by her children Keith, Diane (Dale) Haug, Sharon (Dennis) Herchenbach, and Kevin (Muffett). Grandchildren are Andrew (Amy) Jones Haug, Lydia (Michael) Muehrer, Rebekah Haug, and Sarah Haug (Nathan Woodruff); Lauren Woolard, Colin (Tracy) Herchenbach, Curtis (Jenna) Herchenbach; and Kyle Steinke (Janey Atchison), Lindsey Steinke, Derek Steinke (Tessa), and Samantha Steinke. Great grandchildren are Lucas, Eleanor, and Evelyn Muehrer; Reese and Piper Woolard, Aiden and Ava Herchenbach, Laine and Ellis Herchenbach; and Nora Kowalski, Marty and Daphne Steinke, and Grayson and Emily Weber. She is further survived by siblings Genevieve (Lloyd) Everson, Elaine Fuhrman, Bruce (Debra) Hoeft, Joyce (Vernon) Josie, sisters-in-law Mary Hoeft and Joy Hoeft and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was predeceased by her husband on December 12, 2020; her parents; two brothers, Don W. and Russell; her father and mother-in-law, Clarence and Norma (Winter) Steinke; and sisters-in-law Elvera (Marlyn) Schafer, and Myra (Edgar) Oestreich.

A joint memorial service for Milton and Rose Marie will be held on Saturday, June 19, at 2:00 p.m. at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 1140 Tullar Road, Neenah and livestreamed from Gloria Dei's YouTube page. Visitation is at 1:00 p.m. until the time of the service. Memorials may be directed to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. Inurnment will occur at Borth Cemetery following the service.

The family wishes to extend their thanks to the staff at the Valley VNA for the special care shown to both Rose Marie and Milt and to Theda Care Hospice staff for their caring attention.