Helen M. Fonke
- Visitation Dates and Times
Friday, December 30, 2022 from 9:00 - 10:45 a.m.
- Visitation Location
St. Dominic Catholic Church ~ Breese
- Service Date
Friday, December 30, 2022
- Service Time
11:00 a.m.
- Service Location
St. Dominic Catholic Church ~ Breese
- Full Obituary
Helen Marie Fonke (nee Lampe), age 96, of Breese, Illinois, born on November 16, 1926 in Carlyle, IL, died on December 21, 2022.
Helen was married to the love of her life, Clarence Fonke on May 26, 1953 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Carlyle and he preceded her in death on February 1, 1986.
Helen is survived by her children, Judy (Larry) Fields, John (Peggy, nee Mosher) Fonke, and Susan (Patrick) Hack; her grandchildren, Sarah (Nick) Wilson, Elizabeth (Justin) Mason, Michael (Kara, nee Zawisza) Fields, Bridget (Nathan) Forshaw, and Rob (Kristen, nee Bauer) Fonke; 10 adorable great-grandchildren; and many, many nieces and nephews.
The last of a great generation, Helen was preceded in death by her parents, John and Nellie (nee Cashmann) Lampe; siblings, Vincent and Kay (Hughes) Lampe, Rose (Lampe) and Albert Lang, and Leona (Lampe) Hollenkamp; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Henry and Teresa (Weh) Fonke; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Henrietta (Fonke) and Elmer Stukenberg, Marie (Fonke) and Edward Tonnies, Belle (Laubner) and Col. Vincent Fonke, USAF, Wally and Hilda (Hostmeyer) Fonke, and Ralph and Dolores (Endres) Fonke.
Helen graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Carlyle in 1944. She worked for Breese School District #12 for 22 years. Over the years she applied many band-aids to skinned knees, comforted many students and answered an enormous amount of questions from worried parents. She was proud of her community and a member of the St. Dominic’s Catholic Church and Altar Sodality and volunteered to help with many of the club’s projects. She enjoyed caring for her flower gardens and talking with her neighbors.
Helen was the devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend to many. She will be forever in our hearts. Her family would like to thank the staff at The Villas of St. James and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese, IL for the excellent care provided to Helen.
Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday, December 30, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Dominic Catholic Church (493 N. Second St., Breese IL) with Fr. Patrick Peter presiding. Interment will follow at St. Dominic-St. Augustine Cemetery.
Visitation will be Friday, December 30, 2022 from 9:00 – 10:45 a.m. at St. Dominic Catholic Church in Breese, IL.
In lieu of flowers, plants, and other gifts, memorials may be made to St. Dominic Catholic Church or Clinton County Relay for Life and will be received at the visitation or by mail, Moss Funeral Home, 535 N. 5th St. Breese, IL 62230, who is serving the family.
