Kanke, Mabel Martha

Mabel Martha Kanke, 87, of Vinton, passed away Oct. 20, 2011, at the Vinton Lutheran Home. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 24, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Vinton, with the Rev. Mark Urlaub officiating. Inurnment will be at Evergreen Cemetery in Vinton. Friends may register one hour before service time at the church on Monday. Phillips Funeral Home in Vinton is in charge of arrangements.

Mabel Anderson was born Aug. 20, 1924, in Vinton to Albert and Anna (Johnson) Anderson. She attended school in Vinton and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1941. On Oct. 27, 1946, she was united in marriage to Donald Kanke at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Vinton. They resided in Vinton for a majority of their married life and Mabel worked in the secretarial field until her retirement in 1995.

She and Don enjoyed traveling to visit various relatives and going sightseeing, sharing the joy of gardening and, since they had no children of their own, spoiling their many nieces, nephews and friends' children. Don preceded Mabel in death on May 29, 1999.

Mabel was a lifelong member of Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, where she enjoyed fellowship in the Bethlehem Lutheran Women's Group, the Mary Circle and many other church activities. She also taught Sunday school and Bible school for a number of years. Mabel also enjoyed membership in the Vinton Lutheran Home Auxiliary and American Legion Auxiliary Unit 57 in Vinton. In her leisure she enjoyed quilting, embroidering and other crafts.

Those left to cherish her memory are her sister, Lily Vogt Bearbower; brother, John A. and wife Beverly Anderson; sisters-in-law, Norma Jean and Scharlene Anderson; and many nieces, nephews and friends.

In addition to her parents and husband, Mabel was preceded in death by her sisters, Elsie and husband Ed Matthews and Hazel and husband Con Thompson; and her brothers, George and Carl Anderson.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at .

Published Oct. 21, 2011, in The Gazette