Mary Jean Lemke

Mary Jean (Thornburg) Lemke passed peacefully into greater life while surrounded by her immediate and extended family members on Friday, April 17, 2026. Given her love for others, Mary was appropriately born on Valentine's Day, 1940 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She spent her childhood years in small town Miller, South Dakota with her younger sister Joan. Mary and Joan's parents, Harold and Erica Thornburg, owned and operated the local grocery store.

When Mary was 12 years old, her father Harold died of a massive heart attack at age 46. Erica moved her family to Sioux Falls to receive support from Erica's family, the Hamanns. The heartfelt stories of life at the Dakota house continue to be shared to this day. Teenage years for Mary in the 1950s were what you might stereotypically guess. She worked as a carhop at the local soda jerk place while attending Washington High School. It was at Washington that she met the love of her life, basketball star and her Student Body Council campaign manager, Bob Lemke (Mary was elected to Washington's Student Body Council in a landslide!).

Mary Thornburg and Bob Lemke were married on May 29,1958. Their marriage welcomed their children into the world, Michael, Steven, and Barbara. Mary was a stay-at-home mom until her children were in junior high school. She then began working at State Farm Insurance, you guessed it, as a secretary! In 1972, Bob was offered a construction managerial position in Golden, Colorado, the Vice Presidency of Asphalt Paving Company. The Lemkes packed up things and moved to Lakewood, Colorado that September.

The family became members of Atonement Lutheran Church, ten minutes from their home. To this day, Pastor Del Grauerholtz remains a cherished gift to the Lemkes. It was at Atonement that Mary began working as a church secretary, a role she played continuously in various Lutheran churches for 47 years.

Mary and Bob prioritized their children in making responsible re-location decisions. They sacrificed much to enable their three children to attend the University of Denver at the same time. Of course, when their granddaughter Katie was born in 1992, Colorado was permanently home. Their Colorado Springs home at the foot of Cheyenne Mountain was heaven on earth. Given that Mary and Bob were season ticketholders for the Denver Broncos since the Super Bowl back in 1977, going to Air Force football games was a given.

Granddaughter Katie was Mary’s (and Bob’s) delight. She did not miss any of Katie's school or church activities. In February of 1992, the Lemkes vacationed for the first time in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Mary and Bob graced the family with purchasing a 30-year-timeshare at Puerto Vallarta's Los Tules resort, a home away from home. When it became difficult for Mary to travel in later years, she still attended Bronco games and Los Tules outings from a wheelchair. Over the decades, Mary enjoyed periodic visits to the Lemke family cabin in Fairplay, Colorado.

When husband Bob passed from pancreatic cancer in August of 1999, Mary all the more embraced family as her greatest passion. She was Katie’s second parent, helping Barb raise Katie for 13 years. Eventually she moved from Lakewood to Aurora to be closer to son Michael and his wife Barb in 2007. She jumped right into being at the heart of Cross of Glory's ministry for nineteen years. Mary was loved by all.

This past year was a health challenge for Mary. The Lemkes are indebted to the wonderful caregivers at both Parkside and MorningStar for their loving attention. God has graced everyone in sharing Mary with us. She is now in a Heavenly Kingdom of no end in company with Jesus, her parents, her husband, and her beloved sister Joan.

Please remember in your prayers, Mary's children Mike (Barb), Steve (Jillene), and Barb (Steve). Especially keep in your heart Mary's granddaughter Katie. Celebrate the Mollers, the Lileks, the Ludwigs, the Oylers, the Owens, the South Dakota Lemkes and Mary's sister-in-law Ardie Crosby-Sears in Missouri. All have been blessed to have been loved by Mary, and in turn, to love her back.

A Celebration of Life service will be held for Mary on Saturday, May 16, at 11 am at Bethel Lutheran Church, 1450 Airport Blvd, Aurora, Colorado, with a luncheon reception to follow. Interment will take place at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Memorial contributions in Mary's name will be graciously received by Pepper's Senior Dog Sanctuary, a Littleton, Colorado charitable organization reflecting Mary's love of her many grand dogs over the years. This loving organization provides a forever home for older, unadoptable, or sick dogs. Contributions may be sent in Mary Lemke's name to Pepper's Senior Dog Sanctuary, 7000 Roxborough Park Rd. Littleton, CO 80125. Their website is psds.org if you prefer an online donation.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Jean Lemke, please visit our floral store.