Della Mae Kroenke Grabau, 83

Della Mae Kroenke Grabau, 83, of rural Cole Camp, died Wednesday, May 8, 2013, at Good Samaritan Care Center, Cole Camp.  She was born on March 6, 1930, at her parents' home near Cole Camp, a daughter of John and Genevieve (Ohrenberg) Kroenke.  On April 16, 1951, at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cole Camp, Rev. H. Renz united her in marriage to Frederick Grabau III, who preceded her in death on May 4, 2007.  This union was blessed with the gift of three children:  Frederick IV, Christine, and Jennifer.  She was a member of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cole Camp, where she was  baptized on March 30, 1930, and confirmed on July 18, 1943, and was a member of the Quilting Group.  She was employed at The Citizens-Farmers Bank of Cole Camp for forty years, retiring in 1992.  She was a charter member of the Cole Camp Historical Society and Plattduetscher Vereen.  She also served on the board of directors of the Historical Society and Benton County Library District and president of the Vereen.   Della Mae was interested in genealogy and spent many hours researching the Grabau and Kroenke ancestors.  She was instrumental in organizing two Kroenke reunions with over 400 persons attending the two-day event.  Her interests also included sewing, cooking, and baking.  She was a member of the committee that compiled the Cole Camp Area History--1839-1976.   She is survived by: a son, Frederick Grabau IV and his wife Ann of Chesterfield; two daughters, Christine Parsons and her husband Tim of Lexington, KY, and Jennifer Yeager and her husband Rick of Sedalia; a sister-in-law, Judie Kroenke of Kansas City; three grandchildren, Sarah Davis, Katherine Grabau, and Laura Grabau; three step-grandchildren, Shane Davis, Tamie Parsons-Irby, and Angie Kroeger; and  five step-great-grandchildren, Houston Parsons, Alyssa Mahle, Yeager Coen, Grant Kroeger, and Cole Kroeger.  She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Genevieve Kroenke, her brother, John Kroenke II, and a step-granddaughter, Carrie Yeager.   Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 11, 2013, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Cole Camp, with  Pastor Sandy Schlesselman officiating.  Burial will be in Memorial Cemetery, rural Cole Camp. The family will receive friends from 9:30 a.m. until service time on Saturday at the church.  The family suggests memorial contributions be given to Cole Camp Senior Center or St. Paul's Quilting Group in care of the Fox Funeral Home, Cole Camp.