Lydia Emma (Pralle) Schoenbeck

Lydia Emma Schoenbeck, 90, of Latimer, passed away Saturday, January 1, 2005 at her home in Latimer, Iowa.

Lydia Schoenbeck was born on December 4, 1914 in Franklin County, Iowa to parents Ferdinand and Wilhemina (Dohrmann) Pralle. She was baptized on January 17, 1915 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Latimer and Confirmed there on April 1, 1928.

Lydia attended Latimer Public School and St. Paul’s Lutheran School through the eighth grade. She went on to Latimer High School and graduated from Concordia High School in Seward, NE. After starting college at Concordia Teacher’s College in Seward, she left for one year during the Great Depression, but returned to complete her training and graduated in 1935.

Following her graduation, Lydia taught at a country school west of Hampton, the Christian Day School at Zion Lutheran of Tobias, NE and Christ Lutheran School in Norfolk, NE. From 1939 to 1942, she taught at St. Paul’s Lutheran in Latimer.

On November 28, 1941, Lydia married Edwin Schoenbeck of Tobias, NE at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Latimer. Their wedding was the first one at the new church in Latimer.

In 1966, Lydia began teaching for the second time at St. Paul’s Lutheran School. She retired in 1982 after completing 19 years in the teaching ministry.

Lydia is survived by her three children, Ellen Schoenbeck of Fountain Hills, Arizona, Jerry Schoenbeck of Iowa City, Iowa, and Randy Schoenbeck of St. Louis, Missouri; sister, Erna Lueders of Grand Junction, Colorado; brother, Roy Pralle and his wife Mary of Latimer, Iowa; sister-in-law, Iona Bartels and her husband Walter of Albuquerque, New Mexico; brother-in-law, Vernon Schoenbeck and his wife Verda of Tobias, Nebraska; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Edwin; sister, Luella Pralle; and brother Arthur Pralle.