Ruth Lorene (Marhenke) Tatkenhorst, 89, of Natoma, Kansas died Sunday, April 7, 2013 at the Parkview Care Center in Osborne, Kansas.

Lorene was born August 23, 1923  in the family home in Rooks County, the daughter of Walter C. and Marie (Luhman) Marhenke.  She grew up in the Natoma and Laton area.

Lorene was united in marriage to Arthur Henry Tatkenhorst on March 4, 1943 in Natoma, Kansas.  They made their home in the Natoma and Laton area.  This union was blessed with three children; Jolene, Allen and Ann.  Arthur preceded her in death on January 7, 1974.

Lorene was a devoted homemaker and farmer’s wife.    She was a member of the Peace Lutheran Church in Natoma where she was also a Sunday school teacher.  She loved to read and travel.  She was always ready to go at a drop of a hat.

Surviving family include her daughters, Jolene Gibbs of Steelville, Missouri and Ann Tatkenhorst of Natoma, Kansas; her son Allen Tatkenhorst and wife Fran of Cuba, Missouri; sister, Mary Ann Thaemert of Natoma, Kansas; six grandsons and 12 great grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, two brothers Dean & Edwin Reese, two sisters Lola Boedeker and Wilda Lindberg and son-in-law Kenneth Gibbs.

Celebration of Lorene’s Life will be held at 10:30 A.M. Friday, April 12, 2013 at Peace Lutheran Church with Pastor Michael Schmidt and Pastor Karl Gibbs officiating.  Burial will follow at the North Lutheran Cemetery north of Natoma.  Visitation will be from 9 AM to 8 PM Thursday, April 11, 2013 at Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell with the family present to greet friends from 6 PM to 7 PM.  Memorials have been established with The Lutheran Hour, sponsored by Peace Lutheran and the Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.  Contributions and condolences may be sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, who is in charge of these arrangements.