Catherina Dorothea Elizabeth RØtter was born August 25, 1850 in Brockhoefdr. Lueneburger Heide, Germany, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher RØtter. She was consecrated to the Lord in holy baptism in the Lutheran church at her birthplace and she was confirmed in the same church April 9, 1865, by her pastor Rev. H. L. Albrecht. The memory verse given to her as a guide through life is found in the gospel of st. John 6:66-69.

The deceased, with her father and one brother, immigrated to the United States in 1873, locating at Pierceton, Will county, Illinois. The mother died in the fatherland. In 1874 the deceased was married to August Peppie. This union was blessed with three children, Lizzie, Henry and August. The husband and father died in 1877. The deceased was united in marriage in 1878 to Henry Blanke, who came to this county in 1870. They made their home for the first few years in Kankakee county, Illinois

In 1881 the family came to Nebraska, settling east of what is now known to us as, the village of Ohiowa, Fillmore county. As long as they lived east of Ohiowa they were members of the east Lutheran church now St. John's Lutheran church in Ohiowa. To this second union were born six children, two of whom died in infancy. Those living are: Willie, Herman, Louie and Martha.

Mrs. Blanke's father died while in Oklahoma with his son. She left two brothers and one sister in the old country and one sister made her home in Illinois. All communications sent to them in later years failed to locate them. Her brother, who immigrated with her from the home country died in Oklahoma.

The Blanke family experienced all the hardships of pioneer life. Many ups and downs had to be experienced and what is said about human life in the ninetieth Psalm is true: "The days of our years are threescore years and ten and if by reason of strength they be four score years, yet is there strength, labor and sorrow, for it is soon cut off and we fly away."

On October 21 Mrs. Blanke became ill of a malady from which she did not recover. At noon November 3, just a few minutes after we had gathered around her sick bed uniting in holy prayer of thanksgiving for God's kindness in her life and petitions for her and our blessed deliverance from the bonds of this earthly life, with a victorious, heavenly smile she passed away, aged 74 years, 2 months and 9 days. She leaves to mourn her departure her aged husband, the children, Mrs. Lizzie Heston, Henry and August Peppie and Louie Blanke, all of Ohiowa, Willie Blanke of Geneva, Herman Blanke of Sidney and Mrs. Martha Orth of Chappell, Neb., their husbands and wives, twenty-one grandchildren, two great grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends.

November 6, 1924, at 2 p.m. a short service was held at the home and the funeral service was held at 2:30 p.m. at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church, Rev. J. A. Bahnsen officiating. The pastor spoke in German from the text: Psalm 71, 18 and in American his words were based on the words of the prophet of Isaiah, 62:7-9. The choir of St. John's church rendered four beautiful selections asked for by the bereaved family. Interment was in the Ohiowa cemetery. Besides a host of relatives and close friends, a very large number paid their last tribute of love and sympathy to the deceased and her family. May the loving kindness of the Lord guide the whole family in the future as in the past till they all meet again.