Lucille A. Lewke, age 93, died on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at Prairie Ridge Hospital, Columbus. Lucille was born on September 17, 1932 to Tollef and Anna Landsverk in Rio, Wisconsin.

Lucille began her long life on a dairy farm near Rio, living in a large household with her parents and seven siblings. They spoke Norwegian; Lucille learned English after she started school. She loved the classroom, and her parents were very proud that she went to Luther College, the first college in the United States founded by Norwegian immigrants. She became an elementary school teacher in 1953 at Brodhead, Wisconsin, moving to the Columbus school district in 1955, where her starting salary was $3200. In 1956, she married William LaVern Lewke, who, after fighting in the Korean War, returned to his family's dairy farm in Columbus. Together, they raised three children on the farm, where Lucille lived the rest of her life.

She loved to travel, going to Norway twice and to Naples, Italy with Bill to visit their son and his family while Carl served in the USMC. Lucille was a teacher's teacher, who was frequently greeted by former students and colleagues with gratitude and pleasure. Her greatest legacy was her generous spirit and her open heart, which is why she will be missed by so many friends and family members who loved her and were loved by her in return.

Lucille is survived by her children Carl (Josephine) Lewke of Boise, Idaho; Catherine (Mark) Stover of Columbus; Peter (Micka Klauck) Lewke; her grandchildren Claire Tralle, Anna Stover, Tara Ho, Alexandra Shipman, and Olivia Lewke; her great-grandchildren Harriet, Nick and Ignatius Tralle; Wyatt and Lilly Shipman; Emory Julian Jigen Ho and Siduvi Kawei Ho; her sister Barbara Shew and her brother Delano Landsverk; her sister-in-law Lorna Sebald; many nieces and nephews and their children; and many friends.

Lucille was preceded in death by her husband, Bill, in 2005; her parents, Tollef and Anna Landsverk; her sisters Florence and Sylvia; her brothers Norman, Franklin, and Earl; sister-in-law Carla Robertson; her nieces Claudia McLaughlin and Janet Kramer, her great-nephew Gary Seemann, and many of her friends.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, January 17 at Zion Lutheran Church in Columbus. A visitation will be held on Friday, January 16 from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. at Jensen Funeral & Cremation, Columbus. Inurnment will be in East York Cemetery. Rev Tim Schwartz will officiate.

Memorials may be directed to Zion Lutheran Church or Prairie Ridge Health Hospital, Columbus.

A special thank you to Dr. Rolf Poser, (Lucille's former student), and to the staff at Columbus Health & Rehabilitation and Prairie Ridge Hospital.

We encourage you to share your online condolences with Lucille's family at jensenfuneralandcremation.com