Marie Wilke

Marie Wilke, age 88, of Willmar, died unexpectedly Monday morning, May 31, at her residence.

Services will be held at 11 A.M., Thursday, June 3, at Calvary Lutheran Church. The interment will be in Cloverleaf Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services at the church. Arrangements are with the Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar.

Marie (Swenson) Wilke was born on August 25, 1921 in Dovre Township, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, the daughter of Aasta (Emberland) and John Swenson. She grew up in that area and received her education in the District 76 School. On Febuary 6, 1943, she was married to Walter J. Wike and they made their home on a farm near Pennock and later moved to a farm in the Kerkhoven area. They farmed until 1955 when they moved to Minneapolis for a few years. In 1958, they purchased the Larimer's Resort on Norway Lake and renamed it Wilke's Resort. They ran the resort until their retirement in 1973 and moved into Willmar where she has resided since. She was an active life long member of Calvary Lutheran Church and had been a member of the Dovre Circle. Marie worked at Goldfines, Bethesda Homes and she and Walt delivered Meals on Wheels. Marie loved being with family and friends and enjoyed baking, flowers, visiting shut-ins and in their later years traveling. She was always interested and concerned about others. She wore a optimistic attitude, always laughing and smiling and never complained even after breaking her leg in March.

She is survived by one sister Gladys Lindblad of Willmar, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, LaVerne and Janice Wilke of Pennock and many nieces, nephew, cousins and other family and friends.

Marie was preceded in death by her parents, husband (Walter in 2008), three brothers (Art, Kenny and Shub Swenson) and two sisters (Christine Hoglund and Josephine Soderberg).