Carol Brecke

Carol Brecke, age 81 of Ortonville, MN Brecke died January 8, 2014, at Northridge Residence in Ortonville.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, January 11, 2014, at 11:00 a.m. at First English Lutheran Church in Ortonville. Rev. David Tonn will officiate. Visitation will be Friday, January 10, 2014, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Mundwiler and Larson Funeral Home in Ortonville and will continue one hour prior to the services on Saturday at the church.

Carol Ann Brecke, the daughter of William and Ruby (Larson) Paulson, was born in Willmar, Minnesota on May 29, 1932. She attended and graduated from Willmar High School.

Carol was united in marriage to Darrell Brecke, October 9, 1951, and they made their home in Groton, Connecticut while Darrell was in the Navy. To this union four children were born. After living in several communities in Minnesota, they moved to Ortonville, Minnesota in 1967. Carol worked as a telephone operator, health nurse secretary, and clerk at the drug store after her children had grown.

Carol was a member of First English Lutheran Church and Masonic Ladies Club. She taught Sunday school, bible school and belonged to the ladies aide. She volunteered at the nursing home and delivered Meals on Wheels.

Carol loved crafts such as ceramics, rubber stamping, needlepoint, hardanger, crocheting and knitting and gave them to her children as keepsakes. She was known for her cooking and baking and enjoyed making meals for her family. Darrell and Carol looked forward to their once a month gourmet meals with Goodie and Ernie Kanten. When their children were young, Carol and Darrell made wonderful family memories by taking them camping almost every weekend during the summer months. She also enjoyed daily coffee hours with her friends. Carol and Darrell retired early and traveled from Florida to California settling in Weslaco, TX where they made many wonderful friends and enjoyed going to Mexico once a week. She felt blessed to have had a loving husband for over sixty years.

Left to cherish her memory are her children: Paula (Tom) Tobin of Ortonville, MN; David (Jackie) Brecke of Wagner, SD; Rick Brecke of Plymouth, MN; Kelly Brecke of Plymouth, MN; and Sharon (Bill) Alexander of Thousand Oaks, CA; grandchildren: Jena (Calvin) Schulte, Mitch Brecke, Samantha Brecke, Chad Brecke, Devon Brecke and Dane Alexander; great-grandchildren: Evan and Jackson Hausauer and Tayla, Madi and Hallie Schulte; and sister-in-law Norma Paulson.

Carol was preceded in death by her husband Darrell; her parents; her granddaughter Amanda Tobin; and her grandson Maxwell Alexander.