Angelina Agnes Schwenke, known as “Angie” to most, passed away peacefully in her sleep on April 11, 2026, at Schulenburg Regency Nursing Center at the age of 94.
She was born south of Schulenburg on March 8,1932 as the youngest of five children of Henry and Emilie (Krischke) Klesel. She attended St. Rose Catholic School in Schulenburg through the eighth grade. After her graduation from St. Rose School, she had to stay home and help on the family farm. She married Emil Schwenke on May 14, 1950. After marrying Emil, they moved to a farm south of Engle where she resided until her move to Schulenburg Regency Nursing Center in 2018.
She and Emil worked on the farm and raised five children, taking them out to the field with her until they were old enough to start helping with the farm work. When there was no field work to be done, she would be sewing, cooking and baking. Angie sewed most of the clothes for the entire family. Farming wasn’t bringing in enough money to provide for the family, so when the youngest child started school in 1969, Angie went to work at Oakridge Smokehouse Restaurant. Prior to going to work at Oakridge Smokehouse Restaurant she sewed the uniforms for the waitresses. There were five waitresses and each waitress got two uniforms. She enjoyed sewing the uniforms for each person and had them ready for the restaurant’s grand opening. After the uniforms were sewn, they offered her a job as a waitress at the restaurant. She worked a total of 30 years at waitressing. She also waitressed at Pat’s Sweet Shop and City Cafe on Main Street in Schulenburg and then returned to Oakridge Restaruant until her retirement. During her waitressing years, she also kept up with her sewing, quilting, cooking, canning and baking (especially cheese and cabbage kolaches and poppyseed rolls). Her sewing consisted of everything from sewing a button on a shirt or patching a pair of jeans to sewing bridesmaid dresses for her youngest daughter’s wedding and sewing tops for quilts. She loved hand-quilting most of all and would have friends come and join her for quilting parties where they would catch up on the latest gossip and there were always baked desserts to snack on. Many times her children and grandchildren would come to visit and she would have a quilt stretched out across the living room. She also enjoyed going to polka dances and loved to dance. She was also a Mary Kay consultant with her team’s name being “Angie’s Angels.”
Angie loved to help people and talk to people. She was a member of the St. Rose Altar Society. She worked as a volunteer at Colonial Nursing Home and at Schulenburg Regency Nursing Center where she was later a resident. She helped with bingo and serving ice cream to the residents. They were always glad to see her coming down the hall with the ice cream cart. In 2005, 2006 and 2007 she received the volunteer of the year award at Schulenburg Regency. Angie also enjoyed meeting with and talking to the residents. She would talk to everyone, never met a stranger, and always had a smile on her face. Angie was a loving and caring mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She always enjoyed babysitting the grandchildren and having family come to visit and cooking large meals when they came.
She is survived by her son Lloyd Schwenke; daughters Linda Kutac and husband Lawrence, and Laurie Trench and husband Carl; eight beloved grandchildren, Kimberly Hand and husband Curtis, Kevin Kutac and wife Shana, Edward Schwenke, Ashley Hanslik and husband Paul, Megan Jackson, Tristian Brandenburg and husband John, Derek Schwenke and wife Dorothy, and Grant Schwenke; as well as nine great-grandchildren, Trevor Hand and wife Allison, Tyler Hand, Makenzie Jackson, Ty Jackson, Mason Kutac, Cole Kutac, Logan Schwenke, Braylee Hanslik and Brynna Hanslik; a sister-in-law Lillian Schwenke; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Emil; two sons, Larry Schwenke and Leonard Schwenke; two daughters-in-law, Bernadette Schwenke and Jo Lane Schwenke; two grandchildren, Erica Schwenke and Keith Kutac; parents Henry and Emilie {Krischke) Klesel; three sisters, Elenora Berger, Cleo Sokol and Lima Novosad; and one brother Clarence Klesel.
Services for Angelina were held on Thursday, April 16, 2026 at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Schulenburg. Visitation began at 9:30 a.m., with the rosary at 10:30 a.m. and the funeral mass at 11 a.m. Interment was in the St. Rose Catholic Cemetery in Schulenburg. At the wishes of Angie, her eight grandchildren honored their grandmother on her final journey by being pallbearers. The arrangements were under the direction of Schwenke-Baumgarten Funeral Home in Schulenburg.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, St. Rose of Lima Catholic School, St. Rose Building Fund, St. Rose Cemetery or a charity of one’s choice.
PAID