Mary Alice (Kistenmacher) Radke

Mary A. Radke, age 90, of Galva, passed away on Saturday, April 06, 2024 at the Cherokee Regional Medical Center of Cherokee.  A funeral service will be held on Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 10:30 AM at the St. John’s Lutheran Church of Galva with the Rev. Paul D. Egger officiating.  Burial will be at the St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery of Galva.  A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service starting at 9:30 AM at the church.  

Mary Alice (Kistenmacher) was born July 19, 1933, to Harry and Blondina (Schmidt) Kistenmacher on a farm west of Holstein. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Holstein.

After graduating from Galva Community High School in 1951 she worked at Jim's Bakery in Holstein. Later she worked at the First Trust & Savings Bank in Galva.

On January 10, 1965, she married Kenneth D. Radke at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Holstein. She then became a member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Galva where she was a lifelong member and active with the Ladies Aid for many years.

After their marriage they moved to the Zoch farm north of Holstein. In 1971 they bought the Anderson farm north of Galva, moving there in March of 1972. She lived and farmed there where she especially enjoyed driving the tractor doing the different farm practices throughout the seasons of each year. She moved to Holstein Senior Living in the fall of 2021.

Mary enjoyed mowing, gardening, tending to her pumpkin patch and took pride in sharing her pumpkins with family and the community. She also enjoyed fishing, snowmobiling, playing cards, morning coffee at the Galva Legion and attending many of her nieces and nephews school activities. She was known for her sticky caramel corn that she brought to several family gatherings and her Christmas season peppernuts.

Mary is survived by her sister-in-law Lois Kistenmacher and brothers-in-law Dean (Margaret) Radke and Lee (Bev) Radke; nieces and nephews, Jackie (Steve) Meyer, David (Liz) Kistenmacher, Drew Kistenmacher, Lisa (Mike) Teter, Mike (Anita) Radke, Tom (Gladys "Sam") Radke, Lisa (Brian) Cronin, Greg Radke, Kevin (Sara) Radke, Phyllis Baumann, Rodney (Phyllis) Otto, Eileen (Ron) Steffens, Gary (Alura) Otto, Joel (Cheryl) Otto, and many great nieces and nephews.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth; parents, Harry and Blondina Kistenmacher; parents-in-law Albert and Doretta (Zoch) Radke; brothers, Donald Kistenmacher and Paul Kistenmacher; brothers-in-law, Virgil (Elmeree) Radke, and Wendel Radke; sister-in-law, Elsie (Wilbert) Otto; niece, Penny Radke; nephew, Duane (Carolyn) Otto and nephew-in-law John Baumann.

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