Doris A Renken

Memorial Services for Doris A. Renken will be held at Hope Lutheran Church in rural Smithfield, Nebraska on Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. with Pastor Tim Glendening officiating.  Private interment will be held prior to the service at Hope Lutheran Cemetery, in rural Gosper County.

Doris Adare Renken, 96 years of age, of Bertrand, Nebraska, passed away on Saturday, October 22, 2016 at the Bertrand Nursing Home.  Doris was born on a farmstead, located in the Johnson Hills, south of Bertrand, on February 3, 1920, the eldest of three daughters born to Carl R. and Hulda Emelia (Holms) Holmquist.  She was baptized and confirmed in the Westlanda Lutheran Church in Bertrand.  Doris' mother died when she was five years old and Mr. Holmquist raised his daughters.  The family moved to a farmstead five miles north of Bertrand, where she attended Phelps County Public School District No. 22.  She continued her education at Bertrand High School, graduating with the class of 1938.  She remained at home to help raise her sisters.

Doris was united in marriage to Freddie Renken from Smithfield, on June 22, 1941 at the Westlanda Church.  To this union six children born:  twins, Marlene and Darlene, Roger, Raymond, Randall and Judy.  They lived on the farm north of Bertrand until moving into town in 2006 and later to the Bertrand Nursing Home in 2011.

She spent her life raising and taking care of her family.  She was a faithful member of Hope Lutheran Church, being active in Ladies Aid, Junior Lutheran and quilting.  She loved making baby blankets; numbering way over 100 in her life time, for the church.  She also enjoyed the neighborhood, Friendly Eight Coffee Club.  She and Freddie enjoyed going to auctions and visiting with people.

Doris was preceded in death by: her parents; husband, Freddie in 2007; son-in-law, Eldred Maaske; great-granddaughter, Danika Moore; sister, Grace Watt and husband, Roy; brothers-in-law, Delmer Brand and Bill Renken and wife, Beradine; sisters-in-law, Rosa VonLoh and husband, Elmer, Laura Bredenkamp and husband, Alfred and Lila Renken.

She leaves to celebrate her life; her children:  Marlene Dahlgren and her husband, Gary, Darlene Samuelson and her husband, Allen, Roger Renken and his wife, Rosemary and Raymond Renken and his wife, Janet all of Bertrand, Randall Renken and his wife, Sandy of Fort Morgan, Colorado and Judy Long and her husband, Gaylord of Holdrege; 18 grandchildren; five step-grandchildren; 43 great-grandchildren; several step-great-grandchildren; sister:  Jean Brand of Bertrand; and many other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, October 25, 2016 from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. with the family greeting from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Hope Lutheran Church in rural Smithfield, Nebraska.

A memorial has been established in Doris' honor and will be designated at a later date.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements.