Dorothy Louise Schmadeke

Dorothy Louise Schmadeke was born October 21, 1926, daughter of August Stehr and Ada Schultz in rural Kiron, Iowa. She passed away July 15, 2014 at the age of eighty-seven.
She was baptized at St., John’s Lutheran Church on November 28, 1926 and confirmed at St. John’s on June 2, 1940. She received her education in Wheeler township and graduated from Odebolt high school with the class of 1944. She then went on to renew her teaching certificate via correspondence in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Dorothy was united in marriage to James Ashbrook on June 18, 1947 at St. John’s Lutheran in Stockholm Township. Their marriage was blessed with four children until Jim passed away in 1959 at the veteran’s hospital in Des Moines. Dorothy was then united in marriage to Louis Schmadeke in December of 1966. Their marriage was blessed with one son. She lived on various farms in the area and in Odebolt and most recently lived in Arthur, Iowa.
Dorothy taught school seven years, including one year at St. Paul’s Lutheran Parochial school. She then worked in the business office of Johnson produce, at Ida Grove Plumbing and Heating, and in the dietary department at the Denison Care Center. She then took care of the book keeping at S & S Seed and Feed and Tiffany Roofing. Dorothy taught Sunday School and Confirmation and worked as a janitor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Odebolt.
She enjoyed reading, traveling, jigsaw and crossword puzzles and painting with her sisters. She also loved fishing and all her family gatherings. Dorothy was a member of various card clubs, was a board member at the Arthur Library, and held many offices in the St. Paul’s Ladies Aid and Arthur Ladies Club. She loved living in Arthur.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband Jim and her husband Louis; her parents; her sister, Shirley Neumann and her husband Donald; her brother, Irvin Stehr; three grandchildren, Charity Biddle, Lee Ann McKibben and Nathan Schmadeke; one great-grandchild, Maxwell McKibben. Survivors include her children: Nancy Woebke of Ida Grove; Sheryl Prokupek and her husband, Chuck of Omaha; Jane Edsen of Denison; Michael Ashbrook and his wife, Diana of Schleswig; Thomas Schmadeke and his special friend Jennifer of Red Oak, Iowa; Coleen Reich of Sioux City; Harlan Schmadeke of Schleswig; Keith Schmadeke and his wife, Marlys of Denison; Jill Schmadeke of Arthur; and Timothy Schmadeke and his wife, Cherie of Omaha; 20 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren; other relatives and friends.