THELMA LEMBKE

Thelma Louise Woolard Cary Lembke, age 82, passed away Tuesday April 29, 2008 at the Salem Lutheran Home in Elk Horn, Iowa.

She was the daughter of James Robert Woolard and Mabel Fern Cooper Woolard and was born April 16, 1926 on the farm southwest of Griswold. She attended Kemling Country School and Griswold High School graduating in 1943. She enjoyed working in her garden and yard caring for the pretty flowers all of her life along with cleaning houses in Griswold and Atlantic. She also worked in the defense plant in California as a part of the war effort during World War II. Her greatest joy was taking care of others which she did until it was time for others to take care of her. She was very proud of her family members who served in the war effort during WWII and the Korean conflict which consisted of her brother Ben in the Navy and brother Max in the Army and brother Bob in the Air Force who all came home safely. (Along with her first husband Harry K. Cary who served in the Army, her second husband J. Dale Lembke who served in the Army and the Air Force and her son, Harlan Cary who served in the National Guard.)

She was married to Harry K. Cary and they were the parents of a son, Harlan Max and lived in Griswold until Harryπs accidental death in 1948. In 1951, she and J. Dale Lembke were married at Fort Leonardwood, MO and had two daughters, Nancy Fern in 1952 and Gale Louise in 1962. While in the service, Thelma and Dale lived in Fort Leonardwood, MO and Milwaukee, WI. After Daleπs honorable discharge from the service, they moved to Hanford, CA for a year until they returned to Griswold so she could care for her mother. Dale and Thelma lived the rest of their lives together in Griswold in her parents home. For the past four and a half years, Thelma resided at the Salem Lutheran Home in Elk Horn, IA.

Survivors include one son, Harlan Max Cary and wife Kay of Griswold, IA; two daughters, Nancy Fern Curtis and her husband Steve of Atlantic, IA and Gale Louise Newman and her husband David of Lyman, IA; five grandchildren, Eric Cary and Brent Cary and Jillian of Kansas City, MO, Justin Cary and his wife Angela of Waukee, IA, Rachel Curtis and her husband Joel Catlin of Omaha, NE and Shinelle Newman of Lyman, IA; 4 great grandchildren, London Cary of Kansas City, MO, Wyatt Curtis Catlin of Omaha, NE and Kaylee and Parker Cary of Waukee, IA along with brother-in-laws Elton Lembke of Griswold, IA, Marion Lembke of Essex, IA, sister-in-laws Gale Edwards of Kerman, CA, Velma Powers and Belma Dorshiemer of Griswold, IA, Ruth Woolard of St. Louis, MO and Janet Woolard of Jackson, MS and nieces and nephews.

Thelma was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands Harry and Dale and all of her brothers and sisters; Edna Lucille Bisbee Glissman, Dorothy Jane Kukral, Ben Herbert Woolard, Max Revere Woolard and Robert James Woolard, sister-in-laws Muriel Hooker, Guinevere Hemphill, Lorraine Edwards, Thelma Lembke and nieces and nephews.

Graveside services for Thelma will be held on Monday, May 5, 2008 at the Pleasant Township Cemetery south of Griswold at 11:00 AM, Heath Kelley officiating. Open visitation will be at the Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold beginning on Saturday. The family will be present from 4:00 to 6:00 Sunday afternoon.