Verlea A. Drefke, 22 Mar 1944 - 06 Jul 2018

DREFKE, SCHMIDT, TIBKEN, KUESEL

Posted By: Sandy Ficken (email)
Date: 9/18/2018 at 15:33:22

Funeral service for Verlea A. Drefke, 74, Norfolk, was held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 11, at Christ Lutheran Church, Norfolk.

The Rev. Chip Winter officiated at the service.

Burial was at New Lutheran Cemetery, Norfolk.

Memorials may be given to Christ Lutheran school or Church, Norfolk; Lutheran Interparish School, Williamsburg, or First Lutheran Church, Wiota. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.homeforfuneralsinc.com.

Verlea Amanda was born March 22, 1944, the daughter of Albert and Amanda (Tibken) Schmidt in rural Massena. She was baptized and confirmed at the First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Wiota. She attended Massena Elementary School and graduated from Cumberland-Massena High School in 1962.

After working in Omaha for several years, Verlea attended Concordia Teachers College, now Concodia University, in Seward, Neb., graduating in 1969. Her first teachng position was at Lutheran Interparish School in Williamsburg, where she taught third grade and also met a fellow teacher, Gary Drefke. They were married at First Lutheran church, Wiota, on Aug. 9, 1970.

After teaching for several years, she became the volunteer coordinator for the LIS Library for several years and then beame an assistant librarian at Williamsburg, and later at the Amana Library. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Conroy, where the couple lived until 1995. Verlea sang in the church choir, taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, and was involved with various congregational organizations as well as the church library.

From 1995 - 1997, she helped at Zion St. John Lutheran School south of Wisner, Neb., where Gary taught.

From 1998 until present, she was a member of Christ Lutheran Church in Norfolk, where for a number of years she helped teach Sunday School.

She enjoyed decorating the home, making special occasion plaques, and doing bulletin boards in Gary's clasroom.

Verlea is survived by her husband, Gary, and nieces and nephews from Iowa.

She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, Virgil and Varel Schmidt, and sister, Virginia Kuesel.

The Journal Tribune, 11 Jul 2018