Virginia Ann (Schmitzer) Temme

 Virginia Ann Temme, 89, of Blue Hill, Nebraska entered her heavenly home, surrounded by her family on March 21, 2025, at The Heritage of Webster County.

 Virginia Ann (Schmitzer) Temme was born March 11, 1936, to Verna and Oswald Schmitzer at St. Luke’s Hospital in Saginaw, Michigan. She was baptized and confirmed at Christ Lutheran Church. She attended grade school and three years of high school in Birch Run, Michigan. She then attended Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw and was the vice-president of her senior class. She continued her education at Concordia Teachers College in River Forest, Illinois for two years.

 After graduation, she was called to Immanuel Lutheran School in Kansas City, Missouri and taught 5th grade. The next year, she was offered a position teaching second grade at Calvary Lutheran Church in Kansas City. Her life-long partner and future husband, Elton Temme, was serving as vicar at Calvary, and love soon blossomed. Virginia’s last year of teaching was at Concordia Lutheran School in St. Louis. Elton was serving a nearby church and graduated from Seminary that year.  They were married on Sept. 3, 1958, in Birch Run, Michigan, with Elton’s brother Rev. Norman Temme officiating.

 They enjoyed 59 years of marriage. They had three daughters: Ann, Lori and Teresa.  Virginia and Elton both loved children and made their home, a magical place to grow up. The neighborhood kids would gather for many adventures after which Virginia would have Kool-Aid and her famous chocolate chip cookies waiting for them.  In 1968, Virginia suffered an aneurysm that affected her left side and the use of her left hand. She refused to acknowledge that she had a disability and adapted any task to be completed with one hand. She made sure that her children grew up in a loving household, with wonderful home cooked meals. Virginia loved baking, keeping a sparkling clean house, raising her three daughters, and keeping up to date on the latest fashions.  Virginia and the girls were known to sneak off on shopping adventures, which may or may not have been within the budget of a pastor’s salary!

 Virginia served by her husband’s side as a pastor’s wife, called to:

 St. John’s Church in Tyler, ND and First English Church in Fairmont, ND from 1958-1960; St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Barnes, KS from 1960-1962; Reformation Lutheran Church in Charlotte, NC from 1962-1965; St. John’s

 Lutheran Church in Oberlin, KS, from 1965-1974; Trinity Lutheran Church in Blue Hill, NE, from 1974-1978; Grace Lutheran Church in Larned, KS from 1978-1986; and Zion Lutheran Church in Farmington, NM from 1986-1992.  They retired in Hastings, NE to be close to family. Virginia was also an accomplished pianist, organist and led several children’s choirs. Later in life she served as a teacher’s aide and volunteer at Zion Lutheran Church, Hastings, NE.

 Virginia is survived by daughter Ann and her husband Greg Auten of Blue Hill,

 NE; Lori and her husband Evan Halsey, of Jacksonville, FL; Teresa

 Temme-Dietz of Annapolis, MD and partner John Frenaye, also of Annapolis, MD; five grandchildren: Tim Auten of Lincoln, NE; Lindsey (Auten) and husband Ben Welch of Lincoln, NE; Tyler Auten and wife Kate (Ruth) of Blue Hill, NE; Annalise Dietz of Baltimore, MD and Alayna Dietz of Annapolis, MD.

 Virginia is also survived by four great-grandchildren that brought much joy, in her final years: Seventeen-month-old triplets Dean, Cooper and Ella Auten of Blue Hill, NE and five-month-old Phoebe Welch of Lincoln, NE.

Service will be Tuesday, March 25, 2025, 10:30 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, Blue Hill, Nebraska with Pastor Glen Wurdeman officiating.  Burial will be in the Blue Hill Cemetery, Blue Hill, Nebraska.  Visitation will be Monday, March 24, 2025, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. with family present at Merten-Butler Mortuary, Blue Hill, Nebraska.  Memorials can be directed to Trinity Lutheran Church.  The service will be live-streamed on Merten-Butler Mortuary’s website.  To view the service, go to Virginia’s obituary and click on the play button towards the bottom of the page.  Condolences may be sent to the family at www.mertenbutlermoruary.com.  Merten-Butler Mortuary, Blue Hill, Nebraska is in charge of arrangements.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Virginia Ann (Schmitzer) Temme, please visit our floral store.