Erna Lerke

Erna Lerke, 90, of St. Joseph passed away peacefully Friday evening, Feb. 15, 2008, at Royalton Manor, St. Joseph, surrounded by her family. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, at Peace Lutheran Church, 3590 Lincoln Ave., with the Rev. Paul Koehneke, officiating. Burial will follow in Riverview Cemetery, St. Joseph, later that afternoon. Visitation with the family will be Tuesday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Road, St. Joseph. A luncheon will follow the service. Erna was born Aug. 27, 1917, in Benton Harbor. She was one of four children born to Emil and Ida (Patzer) Stephan. On May 2, 1936, she married Herman Lerke in Dowagiac. They made their married home in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, where they had two daughters, Dolores and Joyce. They enjoyed 68 loving years together until his death in 2004. Both had been long-time members of Peace Lutheran Church in St. Joseph. Erna will best be remembered as a person whose heart and home were always open to anyone in need. Her generous spirit was a blessing to many. She shined as a grandmother, from riding the wild rides at the Silver Beach Amusement Park with her granddaughters and playing games to dressing their Barbie dolls with her homemade needlework items. “Sleepovers” at her home were the best! Erna is survived by her daughters, Dolores (Walfred) Lyon of Stevensville and Joyce (Rod) Wierenga of Grand Rapids; three grandchildren, Laura Ragan of Moscow, Idaho, Jennifer (David) Ahrens of St. Joseph, Beth (James) Muldoon of Stevensville; great-grandchildren, Chase Deda and Blake Ahrens; her sister, Anne Kurbis of St. Joseph; her beloved nephew and his family, Kent (Dale) Kramer from Pelham, Ala. She also leaves behind the special family of Jean and Denny Alspaugh of Spokane, Wash.; and many other dear nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, Erna was preceded in death by her husband, Herman; her granddaughter, Deborah Ragan; a brother, Eric; and by her sister, Martha Kramer. We kindly ask that in lieu of flowers, you may consider that a donation be made to one of the following: Peace Lutheran Church, 3590 Lincoln Ave., St. Joseph, Mich. 49085; In House Hospice Solutions, 5360 Holiday Terrace, Suite 24 A, Kalamazoo, Mich. 48009; or to the Activity Department at Royalton Manor, 288 Peace Blvd., St. Joseph, Mich. 49085. Those wishing to send the family a message of condolence may do so online at www.starks-menchinger.com.