Lucille Blaha

Lucille Blaha (Brenke), 94, passed away on Monday, February 11th, 2013. Funeral service will be held at 11a.m. on Thursday, February 14, 2013 at St. John Lutheran Church, 148 S Chestnut St., Belle Plaine, MN. Rev. Mark Johnson will officiate. Visitation will be from 4-7p.m. on Wednesday at Kolden Funeral Home, 219 N Willow St., Belle Plaine, MN. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at church on Thursday. Memorials are preferred to an organization of the donor's choice. Lucille was born on July 11, 1918, in Hewitt, Minnesota to William and Anna (Krueger) Brenke. On July 22, 1918 she was baptized by Rev. G.S. Mundinger, pastor of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hewitt. On November 11, 1918 her parents moved from Hewitt to a farm in New Sweden, Minnesota where they lived until 1929 when they moved back to Belle Plaine. Lucille was confirmed at St. John Lutheran Church by Pastor P.J. Haupt on March 20, 1932. In 1935 she graduated from Belle Plaine High School. On November 30, 1939 she married John L. Blaha at St. Peter and Paul's Church in Belle Plaine. In 1943 they were blessed by the birth of their son, John David. In 1945 they moved to St. Paul where they lived until 1994 when they moved back to Belle Plaine. Lucille worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad (later the Burlington Northern after a merger) for 30 years, retiring in 1983. Lucille was preceded in death by her husband, John; her parents; sister Pearl Webster and her husband Ora; sister Marvel Nelson and her husband Sheldon. She leaves to mourn her son and daughter-in-law, John and Judy Blaha of Coon Rapids; four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren: Amy King (Kevin) and their children, Jeremy and Robin, of Atoka, TN; Tracy Gutierrez (Jay) and their children, Evan and Ava, of Woodbury, MN; David Blaha (Stephanie Battleson) and children, Kyle, Ashley, Allyson, Kaleb, and Brady, of Coon Rapids, MN; Julie Blaha (Jesse Strecker) of Minneapolis, MN; Sister-in-law, Kathleen Blaha of Le Sueur; Sister-in-law, Verna Blaha of Annandale; many nieces, nephews and other relatives.