Lucille F. Reinke

Lucille Frances Fenn Reinke, age 102, a life long resident of Oshkosh, passed away peacefully at Evergreen Retirement Community on December 5, 2020. The cause of death was COVID-19.

Lucille was born in Oshkosh on August 29, 1918 to Mary (Witt) and Frank H. Fenn. She attended the Lincoln School and graduated from Oshkosh High School and Oshkosh State Teachers College, now the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh. After graduating, she taught school in South Milwaukee.

She married Leonard H. Reinke of Oshkosh on November 14th at the First Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City in 1942. They began married life at Fort Sill, Oklahoma where he was stationed before going overseas. In November 2014, Lucille and Leonard celebrated seventy-two years of marriage with family and friends.

After WWII, Lucille and Leonard returned to Oshkosh to be near their families, raise their own family, and begin Leonard’s career with the architectural firm, Iron and Reinke, Inc., formed in 1950.

Lucille was very proud of her long involvement with the Camp Fire Girls organization. She was a co-founder of Camp Hiwela (now dissolved) where she was also a counselor. Her three girls as well as two of her grandchildren enjoyed attending Hiwela, too. She served on the Board of Directors for the Camp Fire Organization and received the distinguished Luther Gulick Award for her service.

She was a long time member (1946), supporter, and former President of the AG Chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood. Lucille also served on the Board of the Wisconsin State Youth Committee and, at the time of her death, was the oldest member of the Women’s Reading Club of Oshkosh. She played bridge until only a few years ago.

Lucille joined the First Presbyterian Church in her twenties and was one of its oldest members. During her years at the Church she was active in the Church School as well as several Women’s Committees.

While raising three lively girls, she managed to be an accomplished gardener and award-winning member of the Oshkosh Garden Club as well as a talented cook. From the early years of Gourmet Magazine, she faithfully made at least one recipe from every issue, no matter how challenging. Lucille leaves a legacy of family recipes as well as her own creations and favorites.

Come summer in the 1950s, Lucille and Leonard would pack the girls into their Buick convertible and set out to see the United States especially the great National Parks. After the girls were grown, they set out to see the world, especially architectural sites, traveling to three continents well into their eighties.

Lucille loved traveling and also being at home with her family and her friends. For the last thirty-five years, she spent many happy days with Leonard at their cabin in Wild Rose, WI, planting, fishing, and blackberry picking in the fall.

Her three children survive her, Ann Reinke Strong (William) of Lexington, MA, Mary E. Reinke of New York, NY and Joan Reinke Ziegler (Peter) of Slinger, WI and five grandchildren, Courtney Weiland (Ryan), Peter T. Ziegler (Susan) and Erik Ziegler (Jena), Mary and Robert Strong as well as six great-grandchildren, all of whom she lived to know and enjoy. She also leaves two nephews-in-law, Peter Patton (Anne) and Philip Whitney (Robin) and their children.

The family wishes to thank the wonderful caregivers whose love and sustenance enabled Lucille to stay in her home until early this year. They also want to acknowledge the sincere care and attention provided by caregivers and staff at the Evergreen Retirement Community.

The family extends special thanks to the Yakes Family and all the many neighbors and friends for their love and support of both Lucille and Leonard through many years.

Services will be private at the Riverside Cemetery in keeping with CDC guidelines. Donations may be made to The First Presbyterian Church, 110 Church Street, Oshkosh, WI 54901 or Chapter AG, PEO Sisterhood, c/o Ann Gassere, 1300 Lawndale Street, Oshkosh, WI.