Edna M. Bemis, 93, of Hawkeye, died of natural causes on Saturday, December 22, 2012, at Stoney Brook Village in West Union.
Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m., Friday, December 28, 2012, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hawkeye with Rev. David R. Nelson officiating. Interment will be at the Hawkeye Cemetery. Friends may call from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, December 27, 2012, at Becker-Milnes Funeral Home in Hawkeye and for one hour preceding services at the church on Friday. The family suggests that memorials be made in her name to Palmer Heart of Iowa Hospice, Stoney Brook Village or Trinity Lutheran Church.
Edna Mae, daughter of Louis, Sr. and Ida Schnor Fritz, was born April 23, 1919, in rural Hawkeye, Iowa. She was baptized May 25, 1919, and confirmed June 26, 1932, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hawkeye. She graduated from Alpha High School on May 13, 1937. On March 22, 1944, she was united in marriage with Russell A. Bemis at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. They farmed in the Hawkeye area until moving into town in 1960, and Edna did the bookkeeping for Russell’s service station business. She was a lifelong member of Trinity Lutheran Church and participated in Dorcas Circle. She was also a member of the Hawkeye Businessmen’s Association, and was selected as grand marshall of the Hawkeye Fun Day’s Parade. She enjoyed quilting, making sequined calendars, doing word find, and playing solitaire. Over the years she enjoyed many fishing trips to Minnesota and camping.
Edna is surived by one daughter, Janice (Roger) Pleggenkuhle of Sumner; one son, Gene (Alice) Bemis of Hawkeye; four grandchildren; Jeff (Marie) Pleggenkuhle, Gail (Jim) Miller, Ann (Brad) Wedemeier, and David Bemis; ten great grandchildren, Katie, Beth, Russell, and Regan Pleggenkuhle, Amber and Abbie Miller, Clayton and Cortney Wedemeier, and Sirena and Erik Bemis; and one sister-in-law, Mary Fritz of Decorah.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Russell in 1990; one brother, Louis Fritz, Jr.; and one sister, Norma Philips.
