ELLINWOOD — Grace Marie Dahlke (Frankenstein), 94, passed away peacefully at her daughter’s home on Friday, Oct. 29, 2021 in Bixby, Okla., in the presence of several family members. Following her passing, her family celebrated her with two hours of singing gospel songs and hymns, praying with her, talking to her, loving her, and wishing her a beautiful reunion in Heaven with her husband, son, family and friends. We are comforted by her love of the Lord and lifelong service to Him. We can only imagine the joy she is experiencing now!
Grace lived in Hutchinson, Kan., beginning in 1982, and only recently moved to Tulsa to live with her daughter, Lisa.
Grace was born on March 2, 1927 to Rev. Carl and Clara Frankenstein in the parsonage of St. Matthews Lutheran Church in North Tonawanda, New York, where her father was the minister. She graduated from North Tonawanda High School in 1944, and attended one year of college at Rockport State College.
In 1948, she married Rev. Victor W. Dahlke at St. Matthews with her father officiating. Victor and Grace were married 50 years. Their first church together was Holy Ghost Lutheran in Bergholtz, New York, where they spent 9 ½ years. Five of their children, David, Deborah, Jonathan, Lisa (Dorcas), and James were born there.
The Dahlke family moved to Watertown, Wisc. in 1958, where Rev. Dahlke was called to St. John’s Lutheran Church. Their daughter, Joanna, was born there. While there, they placed their older son, David, who was born with severe developmental disabilities, at Bethesa Lutheran Home for the Disabled. After the family moved from Watertown, Grace traveled to Watertown to visit David three to four times a year.
The Dahlke family moved to Ellinwood, Kan., in 1962, where Rev. Dahlke was called to St. John’s Lutheran Church. Their seventh and last child, Dinah (Raine) was born there. They lived in Ellinwood until Rev. Dahlke’s retirement in 1982. All of their children graduated from Ellinwood High School.
In 1982, Victor and Grace moved to Hutchinson, Kan., where Rev. Dahlke continued to serve as Pastor Emeritus at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church (ORL). Victor’s ministries were Grace’s ministries too. It was a lifelong partnership of service and ministry.
Grace lead a life of service to the Lord and the community. She taught Sunday School and music to the children until she was 90 years old. She lead the Children’s Choir in both Ellinwood and Hutchinson. She volunteered at the Our Redeemer Lutheran Youth Club as a Table Parent until she was 90. She loved the children at her church, and was especially thrilled when they would come up to her as adults and tell her of their memories of her. Grace was named Volunteer Teacher of the Year for the Kansas District (Missouri Synod Lutheran Church) in 1997.
Victor and Grace started a ministry at ORL called College and Career, for young adults, that lasted 15 years. Grace chaired the Older Adults Committee at ORL from 1998-2018. Each year this committee planned a service to commemorate the older members called “Bless the Years Sunday”. Grace was especially proud of her Adult Committee and the ministry they provided.
Grace also organized ORL members to form a choir that sang once a month for many years at Good Samaritan Nursing Home. She took great care in choosing the songs and making sure the choir had copies of all the songs. Grace lead Bible Study at Good Samaritan once a week. In 2004, she was named Volunteer of the Year. Grace continued to visit ORL shut ins for 20 years after Victor passed. She was always amazed at how happy they were to see her.
Grace was a Charter Member of the “Saints Alive After 55” Kansas District Committee, traveling to Topeka for 30 years for meetings.
In the community, Grace was a CASA Volunteer for many years, and she was awarded CASA Volunteer of the Year in 1995. She was also a Reading Tutor at Yoder Elementary.
In Ellinwood, her hobbies included china painting, wood carving, and she was in a bowling league! Her children remember her spending all day Saturday baking for Sunday. She always had homemade coffee cake, kuchen, pastries, and even donuts. She was the best cook!
In later years, her hobbies included scrabble, Sudoku, gardening and yard work. She spent hours on her patio enjoying the outdoors. She mowed her own yard until she was 90, despite the protests of her children. Grace was a great supporter of the arts and faithfully attended the Dillon Lecture Series and Hutchinson’s Community Theater programs.
Grace is survived by six children, Deborah Matan, Columbus, Ohio; Jonathan (Cheryl) Dahlke, Holyrood, Kan.; Lisa Winters, Bixby, Okla.; James Dahlke, Joplin, Mo.; Joanna Penn (Ty Petty), Topeka, Kan.; and Raine Dyani, Issaquah, Washington; ten grandchildren, Alyson (Mike) Houlden, Kristin (Kenny) Moore, Marcie (Elliott) Bilbry, Amanda (Levi) Ellis, Natalie (Scott) Penn-Mayton, Jake (Hannah) Dahlke, Olivia Penn, Sydney Dahlke, Jordan (Caitlin) Dahlke, Tanner Dahlke; and 12 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Victor Dahlke; father, Carl Frankenstein; mother, Clara Brusehaber Frankenstein; sisters, Ruth, Anita, Doris; brother, Carl; and her son, David.
Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, 407 E. 12th, Hutchinson. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021, with family present from 5 to 7 p.m. at Elliott Mortuary, and from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, at the church. Burial will follow in Fairlawn Burial Park, Hutchinson. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church/Youth Club and Youth Ministry, and the David Dahlke Memorial Fund c/o the University of Kansas, in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, Kansas 67501.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Elliott Mortuary and Crematory
1219 N. Main
Hutchinson, KS 67501
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Nov. 3, 2021
