1927
Edith
2018
Edith Mensendike
June 4, 1927 — May 10, 2018
Edith Mensendike, age 90, of Stockton, Illinois passed away Thursday, May 10, 2018 at Waverly Place Nursing Facility, Stockton. A funeral service will be held 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 16, 2018 at the Calvary United Methodist Church, Stockton. Inurnment will take place in the Elizabeth Cemetery at a later date. Visitation will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., at the Church prior to the service. Memorials may be given in Edith’s honor for the Stockton Library or Calvary United Methodist Church.
Edith was born June 4, 1927, in Quincy, Illinois, the daughter of John and Ruth (Reuter) Schmiedeskamp. She graduated from Camp Point High School, Camp Point, Illinois and attended Culver Stockton College, Canton, Missouri. On July 9, 1950, Edith married “that tall, handsome boy with the thick black hair”, Ray Mensendike, at Camp Point, Illinois. They enjoyed 64 years of marriage until Ray’s death in 2015.
Edith taught at a Lutheran Elementary School, and after marrying Ray, she became a homemaker to raise her children. She was very involved in the Stockton community and in the Calvary United Methodist Church. Edith was a volunteer and helped establish the library in Pecatonica, Illinois and served several years as the substitute librarian in Hanover, Illinois. She was an active gardener and enjoyed trimming and landscaping with her husband. She was also well known in the family for her poetry and clever birthday cards and letters.
Edith will be dearly missed by five children, Alice Mensendike of Stockton, Ray “Dick” (Teri) Mensendike of Elizabeth, Jane (William) Powell of La Crosse, Wisconsin, Willa (Tim) MacKenzie of La Crosse, and John (Denise) Mensendike of Harvard, Illinois; 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Edith is preceded in death by her husband, Ray; her parents, John and Ruth; a brother, William Schmiedeskamp; and two sisters, Mary Ellen Doyle and Ruth Jean Schmiedeskamp.
Food for Thought
By Edith Mensendike
A tree that’s tall and overweight with shade
Is satisfying like a well-cooked dinner.
A hill that’s round and bare against the sky
Is like a sugar bowl, just filled.
A frog pond hiding frogs among the cattails
Is rich, like vegetable soup.
An ancient log with mellow golden core
Is like a candy bar with chocolate coating.
A Sunday walk through pastures, field and wood
Is like a giant feast, complete and good.
Edith was born June 4, 1927, in Quincy, Illinois, the daughter of John and Ruth (Reuter) Schmiedeskamp. She graduated from Camp Point High School, Camp Point, Illinois and attended Culver Stockton College, Canton, Missouri. On July 9, 1950, Edith married “that tall, handsome boy with the thick black hair”, Ray Mensendike, at Camp Point, Illinois. They enjoyed 64 years of marriage until Ray’s death in 2015.
Edith taught at a Lutheran Elementary School, and after marrying Ray, she became a homemaker to raise her children. She was very involved in the Stockton community and in the Calvary United Methodist Church. Edith was a volunteer and helped establish the library in Pecatonica, Illinois and served several years as the substitute librarian in Hanover, Illinois. She was an active gardener and enjoyed trimming and landscaping with her husband. She was also well known in the family for her poetry and clever birthday cards and letters.
Edith will be dearly missed by five children, Alice Mensendike of Stockton, Ray “Dick” (Teri) Mensendike of Elizabeth, Jane (William) Powell of La Crosse, Wisconsin, Willa (Tim) MacKenzie of La Crosse, and John (Denise) Mensendike of Harvard, Illinois; 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Edith is preceded in death by her husband, Ray; her parents, John and Ruth; a brother, William Schmiedeskamp; and two sisters, Mary Ellen Doyle and Ruth Jean Schmiedeskamp.
Food for Thought
By Edith Mensendike
A tree that’s tall and overweight with shade
Is satisfying like a well-cooked dinner.
A hill that’s round and bare against the sky
Is like a sugar bowl, just filled.
A frog pond hiding frogs among the cattails
Is rich, like vegetable soup.
An ancient log with mellow golden core
Is like a candy bar with chocolate coating.
A Sunday walk through pastures, field and wood
Is like a giant feast, complete and good.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Edith Mensendike, please visit our flower store.
Service Schedule
Past Services
Visitation
Calvary United Methodist Church - Stockton
Service
Calvary United Methodist Church - Stockton
Guestbook
Visits: 0
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors