Funeral services for Kathryn Gomke, age 96, of Elgin, ND will be at 2:00 p.m. MT on Thursday, January 26, 2012 at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Elgin. Rev. Wayne Rouse will officiate with burial in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Elgin.


Kathryn Delzer was born on January 26, 1915 in Artis, SD to Karl and Lydia (Trautman) Delzer. In 1918, they moved to ND to homestead north of Elgin. She was raised and worked on the family farm and attended rural school. She met William Gomke and they were married on January 9, 1934 in Carson, ND. They farmed the Ludwig Gomke homestead and raised their four children: Lorraine, Harold, Ruth and Delores. They had two children, Henry Karl and Helen, who died shortly after childbirth. Kathryn and William were married for 42 years until William's death in March 1976.


Kathryn loved gardening and helping out on the farm whenever she could. She loved quilting for her children, grandchildren and many other people for over 22 years. She also enjoyed canning, cooking and baking, especially fresh bread and homemade butter.


Kathryn passed away on Thursday, January 19, 2012 at the Jacobson Memorial Care Center in Elgin, ND.


She is survived by four children, Lorraine(James) Theurer, Elgin; Harold Gomke, Bismarck; Ruth (Melvin) Will, Bismarck; Delores (Milton) Tietz, Mandan; 11 grandchildren, Doug (Debra) Theurer, Dickinson; Darrell (Luella) Theurer, Bismarck; Craig (Nancy) Theurer, Lincoln; James (Char) Theurer, Wilton; Roxanne (James) Haag, Fairfield; Stephanie (Mark) Swenson, Bismarck; Stacy (Nicole) Gomke, Plymouth, MN; Debra Kovash, Bismarck; Tamara Will, Bismarck; Brenda (Larry)Friedt; New Leipzig; Curt Tietz, Mandan; 19 great grandchildren, and 10 great-great grandchildren; one sister, Hillia Kitzan, Bismarck; and one sister-in-law, Lorraine Delzer, Mandan.


She was preceded in death by her husband, William; her parents, Karl and Lydia Delzer; her siblings Theodore Delzer, Alvina Friesz, Adeline Gomke, Bertha Heinle, Ella Heinle, Emanuel Delzer and Albert Delzer; and daughter-in-law, Carol Gomke.


Visitation will be on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Evanson-Jensen Funeral Home in Elgin and one hour prior to services at the church on Thursday afternoon.