Obituaries

George L “Ske” Lepchenske 76 of Aviston and formerly of Dextor, MO died Friday February 5, 2016 at his residence in Aviston.

He was born September 25, 1939 in Dextor, MO to Marvin and Jewell (Reed) Lepchenske: they preceded him in death.

He was also preceded in death by his father-in-law and mother-in-law Syl and Rose (Horstmann) Schumacher, a brother-in-law Don Schumacher.

He married Joan Schumacher September 5. 1998 at Eliot Chapel in Kirkwood, MO and she survives in Aviston.

Also surviving are his children Craig Lepchenske of Phoenix, AZ, Brad (Shenna) Lepchenske of Montgomery, TX.

Step Children Karl (Ann) Belter of Chillicothe, IL, Jim (Tim) Bass of St. Charles, MO.

8 grandchildren Tanner & Kendall Lepchenske, Joel, Neil, & Paul Belter, Allison, Jacob, & Katie Bass.

Sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law Sr. Celine Schumacher SSND of St. Louis, MO, Mary (Ken) Bolhofner of Aviston, Sue Betts of Edwardsville, Ken (Myra) Schumacher of Clayton Delaware, Nancy (Pete) Koening of Richmond, IL, Sharon (Amos) Watkins, of St. Louis, MO, Janet (Lee) Hackle of Leavenworth, KS.

Ske received his PhD and was the Dean of Instruction at the Navajo Community College in Tsaile, AZ. He retired from the Defense Logistics Agency Department with the Department of Defense. He enjoyed reading, playing cards, a football fan of the Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis, Rams. He and his wife enjoyed traveling the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Member of the Eliot Chapel in Kirkwood, MO, American Legion post 1239, Aviston.

Memorial Service Tuesday February 9, 2016 at 11:00 am at the Moss Funeral home in Breese, Rev. Jim Crawford officiating. Interment Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, MO.

Visitation will be Tuesday February 9 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the Moss Funeral home in Breese.

Members of the Aviston American Legion will hold services at 10:00 am Tuesday Febrary9 at the Funeral Home.

Memorials can be made to Libraries in Dextor, MO, Breese or Trenton and will be received through the Moss Funeral Home.

Memorial Service Tuesday February 9, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at moss Funeral Home in Breese. Rev. Jim Crawford officiating. Interment Jefferson barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, MO

Visitation Tuesday February 9, from 9:00 to 11:00 am at the Moss Funeral Home in Breese

Memorials can made to Libraries in Dextor, MO, Breese or Trenton and will be received at the Moss Funeral Home.

James L. “Jim” Ess, age 75 of Breese, born June 22, 1940 in Breese, a son of the late Alfred and Evelyn, nee Goewert, Ess, died Tuesday, February 2, 2016 at his residence surrounded by loved ones.

Surviving are his children, Doug (Jean) Ess of Aviston and Deb (Aaron) Maue of Walker, IA; 6 grandchildren, Lindsey and Kristen Ess, and Abigail, Faith, Sydney, and Gabriel Maue; brothers, Ron (Pat) Ess of St. Louis, MO, and Richard (Nancy) Ess of Breese, IL, and he was formerly married to Gail Ruth.

Jim was a veteran of the United States Air Force, retired from the Aircraft Maintenance Division at Scott Air Force Base and was a former member of the Breese Optimist Club. Jim loved spending time with family especially his grandchildren.

A Funeral Service will be held Sunday, February 7, 2016 at 2:00p.m. at Moss Funeral Home in Breese with Deacon Charles Litteken officiating. A private burial will take place at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, Mo.

Visitation will be Sunday, February 7, 2016 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. at the Moss Funeral Home in Breese.

Memorials may be made to JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) and will be received at the funeral home.

Mary E. Straeter 92 of St. Rose died Monday February 1, 2016 at Faith Country side in Highland.

She was born November 13, 1923 in St. Rose to Gerhard and Emelia (Holtgrave) Schumacher: they preceded her in death.

She married Victor Straeter May 1, 1946 at St. Rose Church and he preceded her in death November 29, 2005.

Also preceded in death by a son Frank Straeter, son-in-law Joe Urzi, sisters Elizabeth Ketterer, Delores Kalous, Sr. Aloysia Schumacher ASC., Rita Netemeyer, brothers Edwin Schumacher, Clarence Schumacher, James Schumacher in infancy, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Cletus Ketterer, Helen Schumacher, Bill Kalous, Clarence Netemeyer.

Surviving are her children Marge (Mike) Detmer of St. Rose, Eileen (Gary) Straeter-Kerr of Springfield, Virgil (Janice) Straeter of Highland, Jim (Melinda) Straeter of Rochester, IN, Diane Urzi of St. Louis, MO, Lori (Ross) Campbell of Rochester, MN. Daughter-in-law Vicki Straeter of O’Fallon

22 grandchildren and 27 great grandchildren

Sisters-in-law Lidwina Schumacher, Marie Straeter both of St. Rose

Mary along with her husband was Co-Owner and bookkeeper for Straeter Equipment in St. Rose. Mary was an avid seamstress and embroided hundreds of quilt blocks. She enjoyed quilting and playing euchre.

Member of St. Rose Church, Altar Sodality and church choir. Clinton County Homemakers Extension

Funeral Mass of Christian burial will be Friday February 5, 2016 at 2:00 pm at St. Rose Catholic Church with Fr. Edward Schaefer officiating. Interment St. Rose Cemetery

Visitation will be Thursday February 4, from 5 to 8 PM and Friday February 5 from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM
At the Moss Funeral home in Breese.

Memorials can be made to St. Rose Church, Mater Dei high School, Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Research and will be received at the funeral home.

Henry E. “Bud” Ratermann, age 83 of Breese, born August 28, 1932 in Breese, a son of the late Henry S. and Catherine E. (Feltrop) Ratermann, died Monday, February 1, 2016 surrounded by his family at Memorial Hospital in Belleville.

In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by a son-in-law, Thomas Wintermann; brothers Alfred, Sylvester, Ralph, Melvin, Richard, Jerry Ratermann; sisters, Florentine Ripperda, Alvina Voss, Agnes Detmer; brothers and sisters-in-law, Ted Detmer, Victor Voss, Mary Louise Ratermann, Rosilda & Earl Calliotte, Pat Landmann, Alvin Landman, Edgar and Shirley Landmann., Linda and Darrell Willmann, and Eldon and Agnes Miller

Surviving is his wife Verna, nee Landmann, Ratermann of Breese, whom he married November 22, 1956 at St. Nicholas Church in Pocahontas; his children Deb Gray of Breese, Barb (Dennis “Spunk”) Henken of Germantown, Rick (Rita) Ratermann of Breese, Connie (Dave) Tebbe of St. Rose, Denise (Gary) Vonder Haar of St. Rose, Julie (Brian) Boeckman of Breese, Kim (Randy) Peek of Aviston, Kelly (Karl) Klostermann of St. Rose, and Brad Ratermann of Breese; 19 grandchildren, Melissa (Rob) Swagler, Josh (Laura) Wintermann, Eric (Jamie) Henken, Laurie (Jeremy) Hemker, Carissa, Kirsten, Clint, and Kara Ratermann, John and Katie Tebbe, Jolyn (Brett) Huelsmann, Kayla and Ryan Vonder Haar, Luke and Amy Boeckman, Nicole and Tyler Peek, Ella and Carson Klostermann; 11 great-grandchildren, Iris and Jude Swagler, Paityn, Corbin and Cannon Wintermann, Avery, Jayce and Sydney Hemker, Zane and Zander Henken, and Wyatt Huelsmann; a sister, Olivia (Orville) Landmann; and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Virgil Ripperda of Trenton, Rita Ratermann of Breese, Norbert Landmann, Leonard (Mary Jane) Landman, and Leo (Carol) Landmann all of Highland.

Bud was a veteran of the United States Army serving from 1954-1956 and was a retired dairy farmer after 50 years. He was a former member of Mid-Am/DFA and Prairie Farms Co-op and a current member of the Breese Knights of Columbus council 2869 and the Breese American Legion Post 252. He also was a member of St. Dominic Parish, Men’s Sodality, and served as an usher for many years.

Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, February 6, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Dominic Catholic Church in Breese with Fr. Patrick Peter and Deacon Linus Klostermann officiating. Interment will follow in St. Dominic/St. Augustine Cemetery, Breese.

Visitation will be Friday, February 5, 2016 from 5:00-9:00 p.m. and again on Saturday February 6, 2016 from 8:30-10:00 a.m. at the Moss Funeral Home in Breese.

Memorials can be made to Community Link, Mater Dei High School, or St. Dominic Church and will be received at the funeral home.

The Breese American Legion will hold services at 7:00 p.m. followed by the Knights of Columbus Friday evening at the funeral home.

August J. “Augie” Barth, Jr., age 59 of St. Rose, born January 18, 1957 in Breese, a son of the late Rosalia “Sally”, nee Wolters, and August Barth, Sr., died Monday, February 1, 2016 at St. Louis University Hospital in St. Louis, MO.

In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by his father-in-law, Fred Vosholler.

Surviving is his wife Joyce, nee Vosholler, Barth of St. Rose, whom he married March 22, 2002 in Edwardsville; his children, Amanda Barth and fiancé Eric Detmer of Aviston, Brad Barth and fiancé Kirsten Meier of Germantown, Megan Barth and friend Alan Winkeler of St. Rose, and Kayla Barth and friend Brad Budde of Aviston; 2 grandchildren, Jacob Detmer and Maverick Barth; his siblings, Mary Ann Dermody and husband David of Waterloo and Bernie Barth and wife Linda of Germantown; his mother-in-law, Jean, nee Dubach, Vosholler of Highland; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Ron Vosholler and wife Lorraine of Highland, Dave Vosholler and wife Cindy of Highland, and Joan Vosholler of Maryville; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Augie worked as a truck driver for Kohlbrecher Truck Service in St. Rose and prior to that worked as a dairy farmer. He was a member of St. Rose Catholic Church and Men’s Sodality, St. Rose Development Club where he served as secretary from 1988-1989 and president from 1996-1997, retired volunteer Fireman for the St. Rose Fire Protection District serving from 1980-2000, Breese Knights of Columbus Council 2869, Ma-Cli-Bo Shriner’s, Ainad Shrine Temple in E. St. Louis, Highland Masonic Lodge 583, and the Highland Moose Lodge 2479.

He enjoyed playing euchre and the chipmunk in the Shriner’s parades, but most of all enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren.

Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Rose Church in St. Rose with Fr. Edward Schaefer and Fr. James Buerster officiating. Interment will follow in St. Rose Cemetery, St. Rose

Visitation will be Wednesday, February 3, 2016 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. and again on Thursday, February 4, 2016 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Moss Funeral Home in Breese.

Memorials may be made Shriner’s Hospital for Children and will be received at the funeral home.

The Breese Knights of Columbus will hold services at 7:00 p.m. followed by the Masonic Lodge Services Wednesday evening at the funeral home