Rhea M. Bohnke

Rhea M. Bohnke , 90, of Monroeville, IN passed away Saturday, September 2, 2017 at Lutheran Life Villages in Fort Wayne.

She was born on Saturday, November 6, 1926 in Pueblo, Colorado the daughter of the late Summers E. West and the late Rhea B. (de Laubenfels) West. She married Richard F. Bohnke on June 5, 1949 at St. John Lutheran Church, Flatrock and he survives after 68 years of marriage!

Rhea was a Lutheran school teacher and educator. At the age of 17, she began her teaching career in a one room schoolhouse, teaching all eight grades in rural Pueblo, Colorado. This occurred during World War II and was permitted since she received her emergency teaching certificate. Following the war, she enrolled at St. John College in Winfield, Kansas and received her teaching degree in 1947. She then moved to Monroeville, Indiana where she began her teaching career which included St. John Lutheran School, Flatrock; Central Lutheran School; and Emmanuel Lutheran School, Soest before retiring after 30 years. In addition to her teaching, she was also a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and homemaker.

She was a member of St. John Lutheran Church, Flatrock and the Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML).

Survivors include her husband, Richard “Dick” Bohnke of Monroeville; son, Michael (Sara “Sally”) Bohnke of Fort Wayne; daughter, Michele (William) Hosmon of Evansville; daughter, Peggy (Gary) Turner of Searcy, AR; daughter, Patty (Ronald) Clark of Martinsville; brother, Thomas (Doris) West of Phoenix, AZ; brother, Hal (Sondra) West of Canon City, CO; ten grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by a son, Patrick Bohnke (in infancy); a brother, Daniel West; and two sisters, Charlotte Kramer and Helen West (in infancy).

Following a private burial service in the morning, funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, September 7, 2017 at St. John Lutheran Church, Flatrock with Rev. Douglas Christian officiating.

Friends will be received from 2 to 5 and 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, September 6 at Zwick & Jahn Funeral Home, Jacobs Chapel in Monroeville.

Preferred memorials are to St. John Lutheran Church, Flatrock Jonathan Lane Hockemeyer Fund or Beth Ann Hoffman Fund.