Ronald Lewke
Ronald E. Lewke, age 77, was taken to his forever resting place on Thursday, January 19, 2023 at his home in Columbus, WI, surrounded by family. He was born on April 1, 1945 in Columbus to Walter and Clara (Duenow) Lewke. Ron was previously married to the late Mary Sue Lewke and together had four children. He was also lucky in life to be partnered to the late Shirley A. Beckus for 18 wonderful years. He was a successful farmer, though never fully retired as true farmers don’t, and enjoyed splitting his time between Wisconsin and Texas.
Ron had a passion for life. He attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison where he was a member of the Chi-Phi fraternity and graduated with a degree in agronomy. He worked for Kraus Milling Company for 15 years, where he was the national sales manager for food sales and enjoyed meeting with clients from coast to coast. Stepping out of the jet-setting job, he chose to move to Columbus and take over the family farm. He farmed crops and raised beef cattle for over 40 years.
He took every opportunity to live life to the fullest. His interests included being a deep water certified diver, an avid trap shooter, and traveling to experience new things. He spent a lot of time with his family and grandkids fishing, boating, camping, and being their supporter and fan. He was always ready to listen and give advice.
His favorite passion was flying, and he even built a RV9A kit plane that he was so proud to fly. He attended EAA nearly every year and truly loved the joy of flight. His passion for aviation, and the cold Wisconsin winters led him to Texas for part of the year where he met many friends who became family. He met many people and touched their lives. He was always looking out for others and lending a helping hand wherever able.
Survivors include sons Brad (Martha) Lewke of Columbus, Matt (Jolene) Lewke of Columbus, Andrea (Rick) Waski of Monroe, and Jeff Lewke of Beaver Dam; 9 grandsons and 2 granddaughters; his sister Janice (Carl) Powell of New Berlin, his brother David Lewke of Madison and many other relatives and friends around the US. He was preceded in death by his wife Mary Sue Lewke (1992), his partner Shirley Beckus (2022), and his parents Walter and Clara Lewke.
A private family service will be held. Interment will be in the East York Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the EAA Young Eagles education program or the family to be used for thanking the medical staff that helped us through this time.
We encourage you to share your memories and condolences with Ron’s family at jensenfuneralandcremation.com
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