Leland "Lee" H. Lemke

Leland “Lee” H. Lemke, 73, of Brice Prairie, passed away on Tuesday, December 20, 2016, at the Gundersen Health System in La Crosse.

Lee was born in La Crosse on December 26, 1942, to Leonard and Alice (Hagen) Lemke. He married Sharon Johnson on August 27, 1966, in Onalaska and they later divorced. He later married Anita (Thomack) Tischer on November 10, 1990, in Crivitz, Wis.

Following his graduation from Onalaska High School, Lee enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, serving from 1960 to 1964. He then began his 32-year career with the railroad, starting out as a fireman with the Milwaukee Road and eventually becoming an engineer as the railroad changed names to the Soo Line and then Canadian Pacific Railroads. During his career, Lee also piloted trains for Amtrak for a brief time.

Lee was a member of American Legion Post 336 of Onalaska. In his free time, he loved being outdoors, especially while hunting, fishing or golfing. He was also reputed to be a “very social” person and was known as “Doc Lemke” to his many friends.
Lee is survived by his wife, Anita; a daughter, Lisa Lock of Onalaska and her children, Isaac, Evan and Seth; a son, John (Melissa) Lemke of Ft. Hood, Texas, and their children, Haley, Ricki, Camryn, Katelynn and Quinn; a sister, Lois Riniker of Onalaska; and several nieces and nephews as well as numerous extended family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, December 23rd, at Bethel Ev. Lutheran Church in Galesville. Pastor Jon Cox will officiate. Burial, with military honors, will follow in Onalaska City Cemetery. Friends may call from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m. on Thursday at Schumacher-Kish Funeral and Cremation Services, 907 Sand Lake Rd., in Onalaska, and from 10:00 a.m. until the time of services on Friday at the church. Memorials may be directed to the Gundersen Medical Foundation for pulmonary research.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff and nurses at Gundersen Health System for their care and support.