Charlotte A. Lanka

Charlotte Lanka 73 ST. PAUL – Charlotte A. Lanka, 73, of St. Paul, died Friday, July 8, 2011, at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Christ Lutheran Church in St. Paul. The Rev. Thomas Clark will officiate. Burial will be in the Elmwood Cemetery in St. Paul. Visitation will be Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the church. Peters Funeral Home of St. Paul is in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Lanka was born on Oct. 1, 1937, at St. Paul, the daughter of Myron “Mike” and Anna (Mitchell) Ogard. She was united in marriage to Jerry E. Lanka on July 21, 1957, in St. Paul. He preceded her in death on Aug. 25, 2009. She is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Audrey and Brian Lukasiewicz of St. Paul and Val and Randy Nielsen of Grand Island; one son and daughter-in-law, Rod and Jana Lanka of Ogallala; one sister and brother-in-law, Velda and Butch Peters of St. Paul; and one brother and sister-in-law, Roger and Annette Ogard of St. Paul. She is also survived by six grandchildren; two great-grandsons; three great-granddaughters; and another great-grandchild on the way; and her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Ed and Shirley Lanka of St. Paul. At the age of 3, Charlotte moved with her family to Atlantic, Iowa, where she began her education. When she was in the 8th grade the family moved back to a farm north of St. Paul where she attended St. Paul Public School and graduated from St. Paul High School in 1956. She worked at Louie’s Café during high school and taught school at District No. 26 near St. Libory for one year as she took Normal Training while in high school. After she and Jerry were married they lived on the Lanka home place southeast of St. Paul where they farmed and Jerry was a brakeman-conductor for Burlington-Northern Railroad. Charlotte also worked as a waitress for many years at Lynch’s Supper Club, the American Legion Club and Paul’s Supper Club, all in St. Paul. In July 2005, the couple moved into St. Paul from the farm. She was a member of Christ Lutheran Church where she enjoyed making quilts for missions and helped at funeral dinners. She had been a member of the Carl Mogensen American Legion Auxiliary Unit 119, Howard County Hospital Auxiliary and a longtime Bloodmobile chairwoman and blood donor. She enjoyed cooking, camping, collecting frogs, raising flowers, making quilts for all of her family, doing jig saw puzzles, visiting with her neighbors and following various sports. Charlotte and Jerry loved traveling and enjoyed going on cruises for many years, having traveled to several parts of Europe, Mexico and Hawaii. She dearly loved her children and grandchildren and was so very proud of all of them. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Norma Jean Ogard; and her in-laws, James and Hilda Lanka. Memorials are suggested to Christ Lutheran Church or Howard County Medical Center Foundation.