Florence Arbes Lehrke, 81, of rural Courtland died Thursday, February 25, 2010 at her home.  Funeral service will be 11 a.m. Monday, March 1, 2010 at the St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Ulm with Pastor Donald Sutton officiating.  Burial will follow in the St. Paul's Lutheran Cemetery, New Ulm.  Visitation will be 4 - 8 p.m. Sunday and from 7:30 until 8:30 a.m. on Monday at the Minnesota Valley Funeral Home in New Ulm and will continue for one hour prior to the time of service at the church on Monday. 

 

Florence is survived by her husband, Bernd Lehrke of rural Courtland; daughters and sons-in-law, Susan and Richard Beck and Connie and Tom Peterson all of New Ulm; a son, William "Bill" Arbes of Ellendale; grandchildren, Karie, Kim, Tara, and Aaron; great grandchildren, Tyler, Morgan, Emily, Jacob, Nicholas, Ashley, and John; and by many cousins.  She was preceded in death by her parents, her first husband, Walter Arbes, in 1995; and by her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Elsie and Benjamin Arbes. 

 

Florence Marie Epke, the daughter of Herbert and Alice (Altmann) Epke, was born February 4, 1929 on the home farm in Courtland Township, Nicollet County.  She married Walter Arbes on June 15, 1947 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in New Ulm.  After marriage they lived and farmed her families home farm in Courtland Township.  Florence helped with the farming operation and also worked at Randall's in New Ulm.  They retired in 1991 but continued living on the farm.  After the death of her first husband, Florence married Bernd Lehrke on April 23, 2006 also at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Ulm. They continued to live on the farm where they spent many hours together in their flower and vegetable gardens.  Florence loved tending to her garden where she grew vegetables and produce, to do canning and to cook, all of which she enjoyed sharing with her family and friends and was known for her beautiful needle work, sewing, and crafts. She was a member of the St. Paul's Lutheran Church, a member of the Ladies Aid at church, a past member of the Courtland Township Board, the Nicollet County Planning and Zoning Board, and had been active in the Courtland 4 H Club and the New Ulm Red Hat Society.  The family prefers memorials to the St. Paul's Lutheran Church, the Oncology Department at New Ulm Medical Center, or to the New Ulm Medical Center Hospice Program.