Lorine Ploeger

Lorine Eleanor (Pape) Ploeger was born on October 16, 1922 to William and Anna (Kramer) Pape in Elkton, South Dakota. She was baptized on November 9, 1922 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Elkton, South Dakota where she was also confirmed on July, 19, 1936. Lorine grew up on the family farm near Elkton from 1922 to 1940. She attended country school through 7th grade and then went to Verdi High School through the 12th grade. After high school she attended Nettleton College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for one year until she moved back home to help with her new baby sister. On December 9, 1943 Lorine was united in marriage to Vernon Ploeger at Trinity Lutheran Church in Elkton. While living in Elkton they were blessed with the birth of their first child, Gary. When Vernon was drafted into the United States Army in WWII Lorine moved back home to live with her parents and sister while Vernon was at Camp Hood in Texas and deployed to the Philippine Islands. Lorine had her hands full with a new baby and had to sell some farm equipment and things to provide for their small family. When Vernon returned they began farming again. They farmed near Elkton (where Randy was born), Brookings, South Dakota, Pipestone, Minnesota (where Danny was born), and then finally bought the farm north of Lake Benton in 1954 (where Todd was born) where they continued until their retirement in 1985. In February of 2012, Lorine moved into the Edgebrook Care Center in Edgerton. On Saturday, March 28, 2015 she died at Edgebrook Care Center at the age of 92 years.

Lorine was a member of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lake Benton, Minnesota where she was a member of the Lutheran Dorcas Society, she was a Sunday School Teacher, a Bible School Teacher and the altar guild. Lorine enjoyed playing cards, crocheting, doing needle point, and gardening.

Lorine is lovingly remembered by her husband, Vernon, of Lake Benton; four sons, Gary (Connie) Ploeger of Pipestone, Minnesota, Randy (Arlis) Ploeger of Wahpeton, North Dakota; Danny (Nancy) Ploeger of Mesa, Arizona, and Todd Ploeger of Glendale, Arizona; eleven grandchildren, Scott, Tom, Stephanie Lantigua, Lea Hoellein, Jeffrey, Paula Owens, Ryan, Kristy, Megan, Austin, and Sydney; 16 great-grandchildren, Zachary, Ethan, Avery, Corbyn, Garrett, Luke, Tanner, Tristan, Justin and Amy Hoellein, Kate and Miguel Lantigua, Samuel Vesel, and Noah, Elliot, and Olivia Owens; one sister, Virginia (Wilbur) Latham of Litchfield, Minnesota. She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Anna Pape; and two sisters-in-law, Darleen Ploeger, and Fay Ploeger; niece, Suzanne Hedtke. Blessed be her memory.