Marie Hartke was born on May 22, 1931 to Dick and Gertie (Jongetjes) Klumper on a farm five miles east of Edgerton, Minnesota, where she was raised. Her father died when she was eleven. She attended public school for three years and then finished her education at the Christian school in town. Marie attended college in LeMars, Iowa then taught one year at the Christian school in Volga, South Dakota. She worked for a short time at Morrell’s in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and then became employed for the telephone company as an operator where she met a lineman by the name of Leon Hartke. On February 5, 1956, Marie and Leon were united in marriage in the parsonage of the First Christian Reformed Church in Edgerton. Their union would eventually be blessed with six children. The couple initially lived in Edgerton where Leon worked as a deputy sheriff. Leon then took a job as deputy sheriff in Pipestone, Minnesota. The family resided in the town’s jailhouse and Marie began cooking for the inmates. The family eventually moved to an acreage south of town. Around this time Marie went to work as a cook at Carol’s in Pipestone. She later took on a lease at the Highway Café south of town and operated it for some time. Marie then went to work as a cook at the Mayfair Café in Pipestone until it burned down. During this time the family moved to Trosky, Minnesota. She went back to work at the Highway Café for a year before becoming employed at Bayliner Marine in Pipestone. When the plant closed, Marie accepted a position at the Pipestone County Medical Center in their food service department where she continued to work until her retirement. In November 2008 Marie moved to Sunrise Village assisted living facility in Jasper, Minnesota. In March 2012, Marie became a resident at the Edgebrook Care Center in Edgerton, where on Friday, December 21, 2012 she died at the age of 81 years, six months, and 29 days.

Marie was a member of the First Christian Reformed Church in Edgerton. When she wasn’t caring for her children or working, Marie always enjoyed a hot game of pinochle. She also enjoyed Saturday afternoon games of dominos, vegetable gardening and cheering on her Minnesota Vikings football team. When her grandchildren were young, Marie would love taking them camping. She will be fondly remembered by her children for her strong will and being one of the earlier women working outside of the home before it was very common.

Marie is survived by five children, Susan (Doug) Monson of Balaton, Minnesota, “Rusty” (Darla) of Pipestone, Joel (Lana) of Kansas City, Missouri, Steve (Mary) of Pipestone, and Jill (Ron) Klumper of Trosky; 15 grandchildren; 16 great-great-grandchildren; seven siblings, Gerrit (Lois) Klumper of Edgerton, Elizabeth Van Keppel of DeMotte, Indiana, Lambert (Henrietta) Klumper of Edgerton, Bernard (Ellen) Klumper of Berryville, Arkansas, Henry Klumper of Edgerton, Cornelius “Case” (Katherine) Klumper of Trosky, and Andrew (Wilemina “Willy”) Klumper of Artesia, California; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leon; daughter, Janelle; parents; infant sister, Frances; and brother-in-law, Bernard Van Keppel.