Florence Lenore Tarbox Dettmer, 90, passed peacefully from this earth October 16, 2015 surrounded by all 6 of her children and other family.
Florence was born December 31, 1924 to Benjamin Harrison Tarbox and Eva Louise Graves Tarbox. She graduated Salutatorian of her class from Augusta High School in 1942.
Florence was united in marriage to Warren Erwin Dettmer on June 19, 1942. She was soon an army bride, as he was drafted in August of 1942. After the war they had 6 children and dairy farmed in Edson Township, Chippewa County.
In 1992, she moved to Grand Junction, Colorado. She cared for elderly in their homes as a N.A. until 2008, finally retiring at age 83. To celebrate her retirement she took all 6 of her children and their spouses to Miami, Florida, Grand Cayman Island, and Cozumel, Mexico in 2009.
After a bad fall in 2013, she became a resident of the Augusta Area Home. She loved the staff and residents there and was happy to call it home. “They are so good to me here”, she would always say. She took great joy in her friendships. She was delighted to represent her beloved home as ‘Queen’ in the Bean and Bacon Day Parade for 2015. Thanks so much to all who voted for her.
She never suffered the loss of a descendant, but was preceded in death by her parents, both of her brothers and all three sisters, Ben Jr., Vernon, Kathryn Dettmer, Bonnie Naus Markham and Gloria Digby.
She will be sadly missed and forever remembered by her six children: Pam Lowe (Ken), Sandy Gorka (George), Warren Dettmer (Rhonda), Faye Gabert (Dick), Joan Coonprom (Gerund) and Carolyn Schunk (Virgil), 21 grandchildren, 51 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great grandchildren, sister-in-laws Pat Tarbox and Corrin Dettmer. She loved and was loved by many nephews and nieces.
Her family wishes to thank all the staff and residents of the Augusta Area Home for their care and friendship- you meant so much to her. Special thanks to Patsy Peterson, Dr. Cayley, and lay pastor Norman (Jeri) Zempel.
Please join us in remembering her life:
A visitation will be held from 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday, October 25th at the Anderson Funeral Home in Augusta, and from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. Funeral services will be held Monday at 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home.
There will be a meal provided after the service Monday at the Augusta Mennonite Church, E19280 County Road GG, Augusta, WI 54722. There will be a private family burial later in Edson Cemetery.