Gertrude Fritzke

Gertrude J. Fritzke, age 89 of Mankato, formerly of St. Clair, died on Friday, February 4, 2011 at Oaklawn Health Care Center in Mankato.    Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 11th at 11:00 a.m. at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in St. Clair with Rev. Matthew Grunewald, officiating. Interment will follow in the St. John's Ev. Lutheran Church Cemetery in St. Clair.     Visitation will be held on Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Arnoldt-McRaith Funeral Home & Crematory in Janesville, and will continue on Friday morning for one hour prior to services, at church.     Gertrude Johanna was born on February 27, 1921 in Springfield, Minnesota to Arthur and Johanna (Appel) Winkelman. Gertrude graduated from St. Clair High School, and went on to attend Mankato Teachers College. On June 27, 1947 she was united in marriage to Robert Paul Fritzke at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in St. Clair. Gertrude served 22 years as postal clerk working with her husband in the St. Clair Post Office, retiring in 1972. For the last four years Gertrude and Bob have resided in Mankato. She was a longtime member of St. John's Ev. Lutheran Church in St. Clair, where she was an active volunteer, and member of the Ladies Aid. Gertrude and Bob enjoyed their travels both domestically and abroad, and they loved to dance!    Gertrude is survived by her husband Robert of Mankato; by her daughter Nancy Ann Fritzke, and her son Steven (Maureen Dyvig) Fritzke, all of Minnetonka; by her brother James (Myrna) Winkelman of St. Clair; by her sister-in-law Patricia Fink of Laveen, AZ; by nieces and nephews and other relatives.    She was preceded in death by her parents, and her sister Gretchen Groebner.