Verna Poenitske
Bethalto |
Verna M. Poenitske, 96, of Bethalto, IL, died at 7:35 a.m. Thurs. Jan. 15, 2015 at Bethalto Care Center.
She was born Feb. 23, 1918 in Welge, IL to the late Edward & Olga (Heine) Marquardt. When she was a child growing up on the farm in Welge and food was scarce, her family ate lard with salt on bread. They later moved to Chester, where her father operated a gas station and sold gas for 5cents a gallon. One of her favorite childhood memories was living next door to Rocky Fiegel, the man who the character “Popeye” was modeled after. Verna remembered Rocky giving her and her sister ice cream cones and had many other fond memories of her childhood.
On Mar. 19, 1939, she and Adolph Poenitske were married in Arkansas. He preceded her in death Apr. 28, 1963.
She is survived by: a daughter and son-in-law, Dorothy & Ralph Asbury of Moro, IL, 8 grandchildren, numerous great and great-great-grandchildren and a sister, Irene Meyer of Chester, IL.
Besides her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by: a daughter, Carol Bierman, a son, Donald Tindall and a grandchild.
Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until time of service at 11:00 a.m. Mon. Jan. 19, 2015 at Zion Lutheran Church in Bethalto. Graveside services will be at 3:00 p.m. Mon. Jan. 19, 2015 at Evergreen Cemetery in Chester, IL.
Memorials may be made to Zion Lutheran School Tuition Fund.
Arrangements with online information and guestbook through Paynic Home for Funerals may be found at www.paynicfh.com
Paynic Home for Funerals
