website  watertownhistory.org

    ebook  History of Watertown, Wisconsin

 

Frederick D. Lemke

1903 - 1999

 

Former Heidelberg teacher/academic dean

 

Frederick D. Lemke, 96, of Watertown died Friday, December 17, 1999, in Watertown Memorial Hospital, following a brief illness.

 

He was born August 6, 1903, in Wabasha, Minn, to the Rev. F. W. and Ruth (Hauser) Lemke.

 

Survivors include: a sister, Ruth Lemke of Watertown; two brothers, Victor Lemke of Tampa, Fla. and Arthur A. Lemke of Evanston, Ill.; a niece and other relatives.

 

Mr. Lemke, who graduated valedictorian from Watertown High School in 1921, also graduated from the University of Wisconsin with honors in 1925; was elected Phi Beta Kapa, earned his masters degree in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1926 and later earned his PhD at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

 

He taught at Heidelberg College 1931-74 and during that time he had been the Academic Dean for 24 years and acting president for a year. At the age of 70 he received an honorary degree from Heidelberg College. While living in Tiffin he was a member of the Evangelical and Reformed United Church of Christ.

 

A member of the PALS of Watertown, he was an avid reader and spent many hours at the Watertown Public Library

 

He regularly attended several local churches and sang in the church choir for many years.

 

After his retirement, he did a lot of traveling and enjoyed playing the piano.

 

Services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday in the Pederson Funeral Homes, 213 S. Fifth St., Watertown, with the Rev. Richard Heins officiating.  Interment was in Oak Hill Cemetery, Watertown.

 

Visitation will be after 10 a.m. Tuesday until time of the service at the funeral home.

 

Memorials were to be made to Heidelberg College or the Watertown Public Library.

 

Cross-References:

The Watertown Historical Society has portraits of Frederick D and of Frederick W Lemke

 

04 20 1963:  Dr. Frederick D. Lemke, a former Watertown resident, son of the late Rev. and Mrs. F. W. Lemke of the former First Reformed Church here, has been granted a Sabbatical leave for the first semester of the 1963-64 academic year by Heidelberg College, Tiffon, O.  Said Dr. Terry Wickham, president of Heidelberg, “Dr. Lemke richly deserves the token of appreciation and respect which the committee on instruction has given him in the form of a Sabbatical leave.  For 30 years, Dean Lemke has held a most important place with students and faculty, all of whom will be most pleased at this recognition of his worth to Heidelberg.  We anticipate his return to the campus after his semester away from us.”

 

 

 

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