Monday, June 1st, 2020
Wilbur Bertke
Wilbur J. (Bill) Bertke, age 100 of St. Henry, died of natural causes Sunday, May 31, 2020 at The Gardens at St. Henry. He was born January 5, 1920 on a farm on Ft. Recovery-Minster Road south of Cassella, OH the third son of the late Leo & Anna (Lindhaus) Bertke. He married Anna Marie Borger on June 28, 1952 in St. Henry, and she survives at The Gardens at St. Henry.
Bill is survived by four children, Virginia & Donald Kremer of St. Henry, Helen & Robert Stover of Celina, Walter & Teresa Bertke of Atlanta, GA, and Alfred & Patricia Bertke of St. Henry. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren, two step grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, and six step great grandchildren. He is also survived by in-laws Norbert Otting of Minster and Rita Bertke of Dayton.
Bill was the last surviving member of his family of 10 children. He is preceded in death by his parents, as well as siblings: Leander (Charlie) & Vera Bertke, Cyril & Dorothy Bertke, Euleta & Werner Bensman, Louis & Evelyn Bertke, Ernest Bertke, Norma Otting, and by younger siblings Marinus, Mary Ann, and Dennis Bertke. He is also preceded in death by 2 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren, as well as his parents-in-law, Henry & Emilia (Kevelder) Borger and Borger in-laws, Norma Borger, Margaret & Lamar Bierly, Clara & Richard Crombie, Eva & Joseph Weitzel, and infants Mildred, Frederick Donald, Mary Louise, and Bernard Borger.
Bill was a proud WWII veteran. He was in the U.S. Navy from 1944-1946, serving aboard the USS Corregidor, an aircraft carrier in the Pacific. After returning from the Navy, Bill worked at Goodyear in St. Marys for two years. He then worked at Mersman Bros. Furniture in Celina for 37 years, retiring in 1985. After retirement, he volunteered for 10 years at St. Peter Neurological Center.
Bill moved to The Gardens at St. Henry on February 11, 2019 at the age of 99. He and his wife Annie were able to share a room there for the past 15 months. He celebrated his 100th birthday with an open house at The Gardens on January 5.
Bill was a member of St. Henry Catholic Church, Maria Stein American Legion, and Cassella Catholic Financial Life. He was a fan of the St. Henry Redskins, Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Ohio State Buckeyes. He also enjoyed card games and puzzles.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30am Wednesday, June 3, 2020 at St. Henry Catholic Church. The funeral mass will be livestreamed, and can be seen on https://sthenrycluster.com/livestream/. Burial with full military honors will follow the mass, in St. Henry Cemetery. Friends may call Tuesday, June 2, from 4:00pm-7:00pm, and Wednesday 9:00-10:00am at the Hogenkamp Funeral Home in St. Henry.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Activity Fund at The Gardens at St. Henry or The Center for Neurological Development. Condolences may be left at hogenkampfh.com.
