Florence M. Gehrke

Florence Gehrke (nee Dabbert), 92, died peacefully early Thursday morning, December 3, 2009. A long-time resident of West Allis, Florence was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Augusta and Robert Dabbert. She married Edward A. Gehrke in 1938 and, after he returned from military duty in WWII, they moved to the Milwaukee area where he worked for the General Electric Company and Florence was a homemaker. She was a dedicated volunteer at West Allis Memorial Hospital for over thirty-five years, and a member of the Greenfield Avenue Presbyterian Church, Eastern Star, and the Tripoli Temple Legion of Honor Ladies Auxiliary. She loved rose gardening, crafts and home projects, travels about the U.S. and her grandson, Adam. For the last five years Florence has been a resident of the Milwaukee Catholic Home where she was cared for by the kind staff of the Health & Rehabilitation Center.Florence was preceded in death by her son, Edward R., and her husband of 67 years, Edward A. She is survived by her grandson, Adam Gehrke, and daughter-in-law, Nathalie Gehrke, both of Seattle, Washington; and nieces, Bonnie Ligeski, Susan Bantz and LaDelle Ryle, and nephew, William Kloss, all of Illinois.A committal service will be held at 11:00 AM Friday, December 11, at Wisconsin Memorial Park, 13235 West Capitol Drive, Brookfield, WI. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Aurora West Allis Medical Center, or to the Milwaukee Catholic Home.