Morris Luedke
Morris Philip Luedke, 87, Colony, passed away Friday, March 25, 2016, at Windsor Place, Iola.
Morris was born Feb. 23, 1929, near Amsterdam, Mo., the eighth child of 10 born to Charles and Estella Luedke. The family moved to the Colony area in 1938. He graduated from Colony High School in 1948, from Iola Junior College and then received a BS in Education at Pittsburg State College. He taught eighth grade at Welda for three years, before taking some courses at the University of Kansas at Lawrence and working as a clerk at Sinclair Oil Company in Kansas City, Mo.
He met Mary Allene Van Trump at the Linwood Methodist Church Criterion Sunday School Class. On April 3, 1957, they were married at Linwood Methodist and moved to Colony in mid-June 1957. To this union they were blessed with two children, Mark and Cheryl. His passion had always been to farm, but due to an illness during his late high school years, doctors told him he would never be able to farm. He took it as a challenge, married his Missouri farm girl and with the help of his Dad began his farming career. His wife and later his son were at his side in the field almost daily during harvest, as well as his daughter until her college days.
The family was church going people; he served as trustee around 20 years. The Lord, farming, and his family were priorities in his life. He was a loving father and husband, hard worker, and always honest in his dealings with those that worked for him and with whom he associated in his business operation. He was a helper when someone was stuck, had a breakdown, etc. He grew up in meager circumstances (through the Dirty 30s and the Depression) and was very careful with purchases and farm expenses. He was a smart man, and he could always quote what he paid for farm items, a very careful shopper. He took pride in how his fields were left following harvest, and in feeding and care of his cattle. He was a farmer of faith and fatalism. It was his faith that drove him to continually meet the challenges of his capacities amid an ever-present possibility that an act of God can bring a business to a standstill and reduce his acreage, but his ambition was never to be restrained.
Morris was preceded in death by his parents, one sister, Clara and husband, Floyd; five brothers, Leslie and wife Waunita, Robert and wife Ruth, Keith, Wayne, Kenneth and wife Helen; sister-in-law, Bonna Lea Luedke and brother-in-law, Jack Finley; and two nephews, Gary Luedke and Kevin Finley.
He is survived by his wife, Allene, of the home; a son, Mark, Colony; a daughter, Cheryl, St. Augustine, Fla.; twin sister, Doris Finley, Atwood; two brothers Norman, Atwood, and Stanley, Colony; brother-in-law Joe Van Trump and wife Judy, Wilmington, Del.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, Colony. Burial will follow in the Colony Cemetery. The family will greet friends from 9 to 10 a.m. prior to the service. Mr. Luedke will lie in state at the funeral home in Colony from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. Memorial contributions may be made to Gentiva Hospice or Colony Christian Church and left in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be left at www.feuerbornfuneral.com.
