Velma Luehne

Velma Marie (King) Luehne died February 15th, 2024 at Gundersen Healthcare during a short hospitalization.  She lived 100 years, 2 months, 8 days.

She was born in Pepin County to Levi and Christena (Hei) King on December 7, 1923. She was raised on the family dairy farm along with her nine other siblings throughout the Great Depression era.

Velma was a 1941 graduate of Durand High School and also the Valedictorian of her 1947 Nurse Cadet Corp class at St. Francis School of Nursing during World War II. Her career as an RN spanned nearly fifty years and included duties as a surgical nurse in her early years and concluding as a Geriatric Nurse at the former St. Francis Nursing Home in LaCrosse. 

She married Richard Francis Luehne May 26th, 1951. Five children were born to them: Mona (Steve) Bordini, Mary (Dr. Mark Hoffmeyer), Michael, Martha (Paul) Stanley, and Mark (Tina).

Richard and Velma initially lived in a LaCrosse apartment until buying a couple acres and building their new family home in Holmen.  They lived, worked and raised their family there over the course of about 50 years.  When Richard's health became challenged, they moved to an apartment in Onalaska.  After Richard's passing in 2007, Velma lived independently in LaCrosse until entering Assisted Living in 2023 at age 99.

Velma was predeceased by her husband Richard and immediate inlaws Frank and Elizabeth Luehne and Beverly Geary, her son Michael, her parents, four brothers: Gilbert, Donald, Bernard and Cletus (Joe), and four sisters: Lavern, LaRayne, Lila and Marjorie.

She is survived by four children, a sister Verneal Froystad, granddaughter Rachel Olson and her children, plus many beloved nieces and nephews.

We would like to thank the staff at BSJ Salem Terrace for their care and friendship to mom over these past 14 months.  We would also like to thank the Gundersen Health staff in Urgent, Cardiology and Palliative Care who tended to mom with compassionate professionalism during her brief stay.

A private memorial will be at a later date.