Services for Edna Diantha Adeline Dahlke

Edna Dahlke, 105, of Clearbrook, MN, died on Tuesday, November 19, 2019 with her family by her side at the Cornerstone Nursing and Rehab Center in Bagley, MN.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 23, 2019 at 2:00 PM at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Clearbrook, MN.  Visitation will be held Friday night at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church from 5:00-7:00 PM and 1 hour prior to the service on Saturday.

Edna was born on November 24, 1913 at Clearbrook, MN the daughter of Edward and Louella (Schneider) Rydeen.  She attended school at the District 20 (Rydeen School) and Clearbrook High School to the 11th grade with the class of 1930.  Edna married Emil Dahlke on April 4, 1934 and together they raised 11 children.

Edna was a homemaker and in addition to raising her family, found room in her home and heart for other children in need.  Along with her children she had a total of 100 grandchildren (24 grandchildren, 65 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren).  She often referred to her family as the jewels in her crown. After all of her children were in school, she began employment at the Good Samaritan Center in Clearbrook as a Nursing Assistant in 1963.  She continued her education and obtained her High School Equivalence Certificate in 1967.   Later she attended the Vocational Technical School in Bemidji and earned her Licensed Practical Nursing degree in 1971. She continued to work at the Good Samaritan Center as an LPN until retiring at 77 years of age. 

 Edna loved music and singing, she was an avid reader, word search master and had many hobbies where she worked with her hands including gardening.  She was noted to say “One is nearer to God in a garden than anywhere else on earth.  A seed is planted in the soil and you wait for it to sprout and grow.”   She felt this is the true story of life, death and resurrection. She also said, “I have given my family my forwarding address and hope to be able to say as Paul did in II Timothy 4:7, ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.’”  And she surely did!

Edna is survived by her children Elaine of Clearbrook, Eloise of Clearbrook, Eileen Refshaw of Mahnomen, Elrene Higgins of Crystal, Martha (David) Engebretson of Dayton, Gary of Maple Grove, Gene (Judy) of Eden Prairie, Bonnie Engen of Clearbrook, Randy of St Louis Park, and numerous grandchildren, great- grandchildren, and great- great-grandchildren.  Edna is also survived by her sisters Martha Johnson of Fremont, MN, Lucille Aasland of Thief River Falls, MN, brother Reuben Rydeen of Fosston, MN, and daughter-in-law Sharon Dahlke of Lenoard, MN.

Edna was preceded in death by her husband Emil, sons LeRoy and Kenneth, sons-in-law Larry Refshaw, Peter Higgins, Richard Engen and grandchildren Tallack Refshaw, Sean Johnson and Eliza Dahlke.  She was also preceded in death by parents Edward and Louella Rydeen, siblings Dorothy Grue, Edmund Rydeen, Florence Hopper and Ernest Rydeen.

Messages of condolence may be sent to ceasefuneralhome.com

 

Richards Publishing

P.O. Box 159
239 2nd Ave
Gonvick, MN 56644
Telephone: (218) 487-5225
email: richards@gvtel.com

 

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