Irene L. Kempcke, 78

Irene L. Kempcke, 78, of Blair, died Wednesday, April 24, 2002, at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 27, at First Lutheran Church. Interment will be in the Blair Cemetery. A prayer service will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at Campbell-Aman funeral Home in Blair.

Irene L. Kempcke was born May 20, 1923, at Staplehurst to Hans and Johanna (Vedsted) Sorensen. When Irene was four years old, the family moved to Blair.

She graduated from Blair High School in 1941. On Jan. 12, 1947, she married Eldred Kempcke in Blair. The couple farmed west of Blair from 1947 until 2001, when they moved to town.

Mrs. Kempcke was a member of First Lutheran Church, where she taught Sunday School and was a church volunteer. She enjoyed working on the farm, gardening, crocheting and watching her grandchildren.

She is survived by her husband, Eldred; son and daughter-in-law, Bruce and Cindy Kempcke, all of Blair; three grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and two sisters, Lazelda Sschwarz of Boston, Mass., and Leona Jones of Lexington.

She was preceded in death by a brother, Leo Sorensen.

Memorials are suggested to First Lutheran Church of Blair.

Campbell-Aman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~