May 6, 1917 – Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Service Information
Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Gre
Saturday, November 29, 2008
3
Visitation Information
Emil Frederick Bethke, age 91 of Greenfield, died Tuesday, November 25, 2008 at Buffalo Hospital.
He was born May 6, 1917 in Rockford Township to Albert and Emma Bethke. He was baptized on July 1, 1917 by Rev. William Beiswanger of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover. He was instruct- ed in the Lutheran Catechism and confirmed in the Christian faith at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Hanover by Rev. Beiswanger on June 8, 1930. His memory verse was taken from John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringest forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing.” After confirmation, Emil attended and graduated from Buffalo High School in 1935. On March 2, 1946, Emil was joined in holy marriage to Dolores Sieloff at Salem Lutheran Church in Greenfield by Rev. W.P. Haar Jr. Together they farmed on a dairy farm in Greenfield which was Dolores’ home place. The Lord blessed this union with four children: Gloria (David) Kramer, Gibbon, MN; Al (Aggie) Bethke, Greenfield, MN; Byron Bethke, Otsego, MN; Ruth (Tom) Zellmer, Menasha, WI. Emil is survived by four children; 13 grandchildren, Joshua, Rachel, Jeremiah, and Rebecca Kramer; Aaron (Jennifer), Aric, and Andrew Bethke; Aaron A.J. Bethke and fiancee LeighAnn, Cassandra, and Tyler Bethke; August, Eben, and Gretta Zellmer; and one great-granddaughter, BrookLynn Bethke, and other relatives and friends. Emil was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Dolores on December 30, 2007, his brother, Otto, and his daughter-in-law, Judy Bethke.
Funeral service 3 PM Saturday at Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Greenfield. Visitation AT THE CHURCH on Friday 4-8 PM. Prayer Service 7:30 PM. Further visitation at the church Saturday afternoon one hour prior to service.