Patricia Luetkehoelter

Patricia Ann (Youritz) Luetkehoelter, 82, of Platteville, Wisconsin, died Monday, September 21, 2015, after bravely fighting a series of challenging health issues. She was born May 20, 1933, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The first in her family to attend college, Patricia graduated from UW-Milwaukee (then Wisconsin State College), majoring in English, secondary education, and speech, and minoring in history. While in college, she was active in theater, a love and a talent that stayed with her all her life. Her first teaching assignment was in the Wausau School District. She went on to teach in Lorain, Ohio, before her sense of adventure and compassion compelled her to enroll at Maywood Seminary in Illinois. It was there, while learning Swahili with plans to serve as a missionary in Tanganyika, where she met Henry Luetkehoelter, who had just completed a five-year missionary term in India. They fell in love, married on February 14, 1961, and sailed together to India where they spent the next four years working with the poorest of the poor. While in India, they also had three children. Back stateside, they added a fourth child and settled in Withee, Wisconsin, where she raised her young family and was busy serving as a Brownie leader, Cub Scout leader, Sunday School teacher, home room mother, and just about everything else. She returned to teaching after the family moved to Antigo, Wisconsin. After her teaching career, she and Henry spent 10 happy years in Stone Lake, Wisconsin, in semi-retirement. After a short stay in St. Paul, Minnesota, Patricia moved to Platteville where she lived for 13 years. Her early years in Platteville were filled with volunteering and attending every possible grandson event/activity on the calendar. A voracious reader to the end, she devoured books, never missed a daily crossword puzzle, followed CNN religiously, and was a most enthusiastic sports fan, cheering on her heroes and cursing her villains with equal amounts of gusto.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Henry Luetkehoelter, in 2002. She is survived by her four children and their families, Mark Luetkehoelter and Kelley Minica of Madison; Kathy and Tom Grocott of St. Paul, Minnesota; Mary and Paul Erickson and their sons, Brett and Nicholas, of Platteville; and James Luetkehoelter of Madison; as well as her brother, Michael Reetz of Waukesha, and his family; and a large, extended Canadian Luetkehoelter family.

As per her wishes, a small and simple reception celebrating her life will be held at the home of Mary and Paul Erickson in Platteville at 430 Jefferson St., Thursday, September 24, from 4 to 8 p.m.

Patricia gave generously to others throughout her life, supporting many different causes and organizations. In keeping with her passionate belief in giving back, memorials are appreciated.