In Loving Memoryof

Dorothy L. Radke

August 6, 1924 - October 26, 2016

I’m Free

Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free.I’m following the path God laid for me.I took His hand when I heard Him call.I turned my back and left it all.I could not stay another dayto laugh, to love, to work, or play.Tasks left undone must stay that way. I found that peace at the close of day.

If my parting has left a void,Then fill it with remembered joy.A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,Ah yes, these things I too will miss.Be not burdened with times of sorrow.I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.My life’s been full, I’ve savored much,Good friends, good times, a loved one’s touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief.Don’t lengthen it now with undo grief.Lift up your heart and share with me. God wanted me now; He set me free.

Serving Sizes

In Loving Memory of

Dorothy L. RadkeDate of Birth

August 6, 1924, Alta, IowaDate of Death

October 26, 2016, Storm Lake, Iowa Services

October 31, 2016, 10:30 A.M.St. John Lutheran Church, Alta, Iowa

ClergyRev. John H. Schmidt

OrganistLinda GlienkeSpecial Music

St. John Lutheran ChoirCongregational Hymns“Softly and Tenderly”

“What a Friend We Have in Jesus” p. 748 “How Great Thou Art” p. 801

Pallbearers Chris Radke Rober Sump Dr. Joshua Radke Darin Radke Derek Radke Michael Mattson

Honorary Pallbearers Meghann Radke-MacKinnon Erhren Radke-Mitsdarffer

Lanna RadkeBurial

St. John Lutheran Cemetery,Alta, Iowa

*In lieu of flowers, Memorials may be directed to the St. John Lutheran Church of rural Alta (Hanover) or the Methodist Manor Retirement Community of Storm Lake

Dorothy Louise Johnson was born August 6, 1924. She was the youngest of three daughters of Gustav and Svea Louise Johnson. She was baptized into her Christian Faith on October 5, 1924. On April 10th, 1938 she was confirmed. Both her baptism and confirmation were at Trinity Lutheran Church in Alta, Iowa. Her funeral is at St. John Lutheran Church of rural Alta (Hanover) where she was a member for over 60 years Even though her family was negatively affected by

the Great Depression, she always talked about those years with fond memories. She always had a smile for everyone and

genuinely loved meeting the friends of her family members. Her amazing memory will be sorely missed. She was able to keep all the generations and family trees organized in her mind. She knew others’ family trees as well as her own. In a different place and time she would have been an amazing genealogist. When Dorothy was 13 years old, she watched her mother catch fire in a cook-stove fire. Her mother died as a result and Dorothy started what was a lifetime of being the family caregiver. She considered everyone her responsibility. She raised and butchered, not only her own chickens, but butchered for others as well. It’s been about ten years since she had chickens and we all miss her fresh, family farm, free-range chickens. Normally not a trendsetter, she was organic before it was the “in” thing to do. Her sons remember going to town on Saturday nights to sell eggs to Lou and Buggs. Dorothy graduated from Alta High School in 1941 and attended American Institute of Business in Des Moines before returning to Alta to help her father. Dorothy’s father Gustav lived with Marvin, Dorothy, and the boys until his death in 1969. Dorothy met the quiet, yet dashing Marvin Radke at her older sister’s wedding and soon the sisters were married to brothers. Dorothy and Marvin were married September 25, 1949 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Alta, Iowa. They were married 60 years before Marvin died in 2010. Dorothy and Marvin had three sons, Bruce, David, and Richard. Richard still lives in the farmhouse his dad and dad’s siblings were born in and farms the 1907 Radke farm. Dorothy enjoyed the simple things in life ~ family, friends, putting a full meal on the table, playing cards, and reading. The depression cemented what was already a strong work ethic and working hard brought her more pleasure than idle time. At about 80 years after a fall, her sons firmly insisted on a regular washing machine and even a dryer on the ground floor and forbid her from hauling water and laundry to the basement. Her wringer washer still worked just fine and she was not happy, especially when she found out that her wringer cleaned clothes better and the dryer didn’t leave clothes as fresh as her clothesline. Her death represents the end of her generation on both the Johnson and Radke sides. Those left to cherish her memory will never fully understand or appreciate how much the world changed in her lifetime or how satisfying a life of hard work, hand written letters, and domesticity could be.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Gustav and Louise; her sisters and their husbands, Ethel and Albert Mattson, and Ruth and Arthur Radke; as well as all Marvin’s siblings.

Dorothy is survived by her three sons, Bruce (Diane Hoferman) of Clinton, Iowa, David (Anne Alderton) of Onawa, Iowa, and Richard of Hanover, Iowa; grandchildren, Chris (Courtney) of Iowa City, Josh (Stephanie) of Iowa City, Meghann (Rob MacKinnon) of Minneapolis, Lanna Radke of Kansas City, and Erhren (Matt) Mitsdarffer, of Kansas City; great grandchildren, Owen, Hudson, Finley, Penelope, Jonas, Oliver, Miranda, Anthony, Natalie, Alyssa, and Sadie; and one sister-in-law, Marcella Radke of Storm Lake.

We wish to express our gratitude for your attendance at this service. You are invited to join us for a time of fellowship and a luncheon at the church immediately following the burial.

Dorothy’s Family