Darwin Punke

Darwin L. Punke, 83, of Lexington, IL died at 9:20 PM
Tuesday June 11, 2013 at his home while fishing at the pond he
built and loved.


He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in El
Paso where his funeral will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday June
15, with Pastor Scott Adle officiating. A visitation will be held
on Friday June 14, from 4 until 7 PM at the Ruestman-Harris Funeral
Home in El Paso. Interment will be in Secor Cemetery with military
rites accorded at the grave.


Memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church
Pre-School, El Paso, Gridley American Legion, or The American
Diabetes Association.


Darwin was born on November 25, 1929 in Gridley, the
son of Elmer and Gladys Zimmerman Punke. He married Arlene Woelfle
on January 22, 1955 in Secor and she survives.


Survivors include; a daughter, Teresa (Daniel)
Casselman, Bloomington; 3 sons, Rev. Douglas ( Marge) Punke, Ft.
Wayne, IN, Daniel (Lisa) Punke, Eureka, and Bradley (Jennifer)
Punke, of Springfield; 3 sisters, Betty Bill, Roanoke, Verna (Ben)
Bill, Eureka, and Marilyn (Ray) Evans, Bradford; 7 grandchildren,
Matthew Casselman, Ryan Casselman and fiancé Katie Leathers, Staci,
Jon, Bethany, Jennifer and Lindsay Punke; and 4 step-grandchildren,
Dorothy and Elizabeth Fitzgerald, and Jeremiah Bailey and Samantha
Daily.


He was preceded in death by his parents; 1 brother
Clarence; and 4 sisters, Eileen Stephens, Lovene Cosner, Donna
Wehner, and Doris Woelfle.


Darwin and Arlene enjoyed traveling and doing things
together. The special times were the times spent at family
gatherings with his children and his grandchildren whom he adored
dearly.


Darwin served in the Marine Corps from 1951-1953. He
was a self-employed farmer in rural Lexington, IL and had enjoyed
21 years of retirement from Birky's IH in Hudson, IL. Some of his
memberships included El Paso and Flanagan Men's Bowling League,
Gridley American Legion, and Pheasants Forever. He also enjoyed
fishing, hunting, and spending time on the farm working on the farm
machinery with his son.


Online condolences may be directed to his family at
ruestmanharrisfuneralhome.com.

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