Charlene Fiepke, 86, passed away on September 7th, 2022. She was one of eight children born to Reverend Walter and Selma Schaefer on April 11th, 1936 in Appleton, Wisconsin. Charlene graduated from Walther School of Nursing in Chicago and was a surgical nurse there for several years. She was also a teacher's aide at Helmwood Heights Elementary for ten years. She will be lovingly remembered for her strong faith, compassion for others, genuine joy and wonderment for life. This enthusiasm was evident early on in Charlene's life, when as a young mousetrap maker she left her home in Marengo, IL to travel, without informing her parents, to New York City in order to appear on the TV game show, What's My Line, where celebrity contestants had to guess her profession. Charlene was married to Jerome Fiepke for 53 years before his passing in 2013. They were one of the founding members of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Elizabethtown. She was a loving, dedicated and hospitable homemaker with a quick wit who constantly had a homemade meal planned or underway. Her grandchildren were always "thrilled" that they had to clean up after large family meals without the use of a dishwasher. She enjoyed gardening, was well known for her turkey sugar cookies every Thanksgiving, enjoyed attending sporting events to support her children and grandchildren, reading the Bible and traveling with her siblings and family to the Minnesota and Michigan lakes over the years. She is survived by five children, Scott (Kristin), Brett (Paula), Tom (Julie), Jamie (Kelly) and Allison Fiepke; fifteen grandchildren; one great grandchild; her siblings, Jim (Jeanne) Schaefer, David Schaefer and Marge Block; and many nieces and nephews. The funeral service will be Saturday, September 10th at 1:30 p.m. at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Elizabethtown with Rev. Monty Gleitz officiating. Burial follows in Hardin Memorial Park. Visitation begins at 11 a.m. Saturday and continues until the time of the service at the church. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. Condolences may be expressed online at brownfuneral.com.

Visitation:

Saturday, September 10, 2022 from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church

Service:

Saturday, September 10, 2022 starting at 1:30 PM
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church