Obituary of Anna Mae Tauke

Anna Mae Tauke, 89, of Luxemburg, Iowa died peacefully Tuesday, September 27, 2011, at Luther Manor Retirement Community, Dubuque, Iowa. Friends may call from 2:00 - 8:00 p.m. Thursday, September 29, 2011, at Kramer Funeral Home in Dyersville. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, September 30, 2011, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Luxemburg, Iowa with burial in the church cemetery. Officiating will be Rev. Raymond Burkle. Anna Mae was born on August 7, 1922 in Petersburg, daughter of William and Frances (Rolfes) Hoefer. After waiting four years for the love of her life to return from war-torn Germany, she married Ambrose J. Tauke on November 28, 1945 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Garnavillo. He preceded her in death on December 29, 1993. They farmed six years in the Earlville/Dyersville area before purchasing their farm near Luxemburg. After farming 22 years they build their retirement home in Luxemburg in 1973. She continued to live there until moving to Dubuque due to health reasons. She resided at Luther Manor the past three and a half years. Anna Mae was a homemaker. She loved gardening, tending her beautiful flowers, mowing her lawn, and just being out in the "fresh air". Surviving are her eight children: Jerome (Shirley) Tauke of Farley, Laverne (Linda) Tauke of Holy Cross, Gerald (Jean) Tauke of Key West, Therese Maiers of Holy Cross, Rita (Ken) Helle of Dyersville, Aggie Tauke (special friend, Roger Kurt) of Dubuque, Lois (Jeff) Maiers of Round Rock, Texas and Doris (Lett) Garvey of Phoenix, Arizona, twenty-two grandchildren: Lisa (Craig) McGrane, Becky (Terry) Prier, Angela (Andy) Eichelberger, Tracy (Brady) Smith, Jeff Tauke, Kelly (Josh) Vinquist, Matthew Tauke, Scott (Kelsey) Tauke, Anna (Kevin) Pedretti, Laura Tauke, Dean (Janelle) Maiers, Tony (Cathy) Maiers, Russell (Dawn) Helle, Craig (Carrie) Helle, Jennifer Helle (fiancé Tyler Burlage) , Tim Kramer (special friend Nicole Middaugh), Tia Kramer (special friend Tim O'Connor), Tara Kramer (special friend Nick Romano), Nicholette Maiers, Katherine Maiers, Lauren Garvey, and Evan Garvey, and nineteen great-grandchildren: Spencer, Curtis, and Claire McGrane, Austin and Madison Prier, Conner and Jacob Eichelberger, Jake and Sloane Smith, Bennett and Griffin Tauke, Dayna and Ronnie Maiers, Grace, Kenneth, and Kathryn Helle, Rebecca, Bryce and Danielle Ploessl, one sister, Shirley Connor of Farmersburg, one brother-in-law, Charles Burkle of Dyersville, and one sister-in-law, Margaret Hoefer of Guttenberg. She also was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Mary Rose, a son-in-law, Ronald N. Maiers, and a grandson, Kevin Tauke, her parents, a brother William Hoefer, her sisters, Wilhelmina Hoefer, Bernice Schilling, and Frances Tauke, and numerous brothers and sisters -in-law. The family would like to thank all the staff who cared for Mom at Luther Manor and Hospice of Dubuque, especially Grace, who always made her smile.