Dionee Schwenke

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Dionee Schwenke, 76, of Cape Coral, formerly of Minden, Neb., died Saturday, June 27, 2009, at Healthpark Medical Center in Fort Myers.


Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. John's Catholic Church in Minden with the Rev. Nicholas Baker officiating. Burial of cremains will be at Minden Cemetery. Rosary will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the church.


There will be no visitation. Layton-Craig Funeral Home in Minden is in charge of arrangements.


She was born Dec. 7, 1932, in Minden to Harry and Leanna (Anderson) Brown.


On Nov. 8, 1950, she married Bill Schwenke. He died in 1997.


Survivors include her sons, Michael Schwenke and his wife, Annmarie, of Minden, Matthew Schwenke of Lincoln, Neb., and Mitchell Schwenke of Cape Coral; daughter, Sally Wilcox and her husband, Dick, of Doniphan, Neb.; grandchildren, Amanda Schwenke Nelson, David Schwenke, Alex Schwenke, Katie Wilcox and Kris Wilcox; brothers, Giles Brown of Grand Island and Jerry Brown and his wife, Annette, of Victoria, Texas; and several brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews.


She grew up in the Minden area, attended country school through eighth grade and graduated from Minden High School in 1949.


Her husband was serving in the U.S. Army and they lived in various parts of the United States and Germany from 1951 to 1953. They returned to make their home in Minden.


She attended Kearney (Neb.) State College and graduated in 1970. She taught English at Minden High School from 1970 to 1978 and earned a master's degree. In 2000, she moved to Cape Coral, where she lived with her son, Mitch.


She was an avid reader and enjoyed teaching children to read. She wrote and published a book, "Listen Up America," about her teaching experiences and education reform.


She loved to play cards, particularly bridge, and was a member of several card clubs in Minden and Cape Coral. She enjoyed flower gardening while at her Minden home.


She was member of St. John's Catholic Church in Minden.


In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents.


Lunch at the church hall will follow burial Thursday.


Memorials are suggested to the National Kidney Foundation.