CEYLON - Graveside services for Velma Dahlke, of Minneapolis, Minn., formerly of Ceylon, Minn., will be 2 p.m. Monday, July 6, 2009, at the Lake Belt Cemetery in Ceylon. Velma passed away on Wednesday, July 1, 2009, at the Unity Hospital in Minneapolis, Minn.
Velma (Goerndt) Dahlke was born on February 2, 1917, in Ceylon, Minn., the daughter of Herman and Sophie (Jurs) Goerndt. She attended Lake Belt and Tennhassen Township country schools and then graduated from Ceylon High School.
Velma met Elmer Dahlke when Velma's uncle, Henry Gehrke, introduced them. On November 1, 1942, the couple was united in marriage and they made their home in Ceylon, Minn. Velma was a long-time resident of Ceylon until 2001 when Elmer passed away. She then moved to Minneapolis to be closer to her family. Velma was very active in Our Saviors Lutheran Church and was a member of the Ceylon American Legion Auxiliary for over 60 years. She also stayed active volunteering and being a member of various social groups. She worked for many years as the Assessor for Ceylon and also in the Faribault County Home for the Disabled.
Left to cherish her memory are her daughters, Karen Sturm and husband, Robert of Minneapolis, Minn., Leanne Wilkening of Vero Beach, Fla., and Denise Detert and her husband, Allan of Floresville, Texas; grandchildren, Megan Sturm of Minneapolis, Minn., Joshua Sturm and wife, Jennifer of St. Louis, Mo., Benjamin Detert of Colorado Springs, Colo., Aimee Jordan and husband, Jud of Quinton, Okla., Sarah Hurt and husband, Daniel of Converse, Texas, Angela Wilkening of Vero Beach, Fla., and Roderick Wilkening and wife, Erika of Laurel, Md.; great-grandchildren, Maia Jordan, Cydney Wajda, Sophie Wajda, Emma Wajda, Christian Wilkening and Gretchen Sturm; as well as extended family and friends. In addition to her parents, Herman and Sophie Goerndt, Velma is preceded in death by her husband, Elmer Dahlke and special cousin, Marlys Hartzler.
A special thank you to the many friends in Fairmont, Ceylon and Minneapolis who supported and loved Velma.