The funeral service for Nilva K. Welke will be at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 10th, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Elgin, MN with Pastor Terrill Bramstedt officiating. Burial will be in the Mausoleum at Grandview Memorial Gardens in Rochester, MN.

Mrs. Welke, 89, of Plainview, MN died Sunday evening, January 5, 2014 at St. Isidore Health Center of Greenwood Prairie in Plainview.

Nilva Kathryn Wehrs was born February 10, 1924 to Henry and Nora (Schacht) Wehrs in Olmsted County, MN on the old Fred Milbrandt farm. Henry took the horse and sled out to meet the doctor who had gotten lost. She was baptized by Pastor Affeldt on March 11, 1924 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Elgin, MN. Nilva was confirmed there in 1937 and married Raymond Welke there on February 12, 1946 also by Pastor Affeldt. Nilva attended grades 1 through 8 at District 77 Country School west of Elgin and graduated from Elgin High School in 1941.

Nilva was a farm homemaker, helping her husband on the farm in rural Plainview. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Elgin, and was very active in many of the churches activities. She enjoyed playing cards especially 500.

Nilva is survived by her loving husband of almost 68 years, Raymond Welke of Plainview; four children, Eugene (Ingrid) Welke, William (Catherine) Welke both of Plainview, Kathryn (Dale) Ronning of Waverly, MN, and Robert Welke of Millville; twelve grandchildren, Vicki Schmidt of Elgin, Deb Welke of Inver Grove Heights, Adam Welke of St. Charles, Erica Welke of Baldwin, WI, Jodi Kay Waltman of Rochester, Laura Harrington of Alma, WI, Brian Welke of Rochester, Anton Welke, Kaylan Steffen and Christian Welke all of Plainview, McCall Welke of Northfield, and Devon Welke of Malone, TX; nineteen great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; one brother Robert (Arlene) Wehrs of Rochester, and special friends, Larry and Jeanie Pettis of Plainview. She was preceded in death by her parents, a sister, Muriel Kuhlman and brother Verne Wehrs.

Friends and family may visit from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 9th, at Schleicher Funeral Homes, Plainview Chapel in Plainview, and one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday.