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Mass of Christian Burial for Connie J. Grienke, 84, of Cherokee will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, March 25, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Cherokee with Father Dan Rupp officiating. Visitation will be Sunday, March 24, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church from 2-5 p.m., with a Parish wake service at 5 p.m. with the family present. Burial will follow the Funeral Mass at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Aurelia. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to: Remsen St. Mary’s School, Albert City Threshermen, or Grand Meadow Heritage Center. Arrangements are under the direction of Redig Funeral Home in Aurelia.
Constance Josephine Bortscheller was born on March 22, 1939, on a farm near Oyens and Remsen, the daughter of Stephen P. and Catherine M. (Vaske) Bortscheller. She attended St. Catherine’s Grade School and was in the first freshmen class at the newly constructed St. Mary’s High School, graduating in 1957. Connie worked for seven years for Russell Miller Flour & Feed Company in Sioux City. On June 20, 1964, Connie was united in marriage to Richard C. Grienke at St. Catherine’s Church in Oyens. She then moved to Cherokee and started working for Cherokee State Bank as a teller and bookkeeper and customer service representative for the next 53 years, retiring in 2016.
She was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Cherokee. Connie was a member of BPW in Cherokee and a past president. A 40+ year member of Cherokee Ridge Runners and past treasurer for the club, Pioneer Machinery Club, Tri State Machinery Club, Sergeant Floyd Tri-State Chapter and the retired Cherokee State Bank employees coffee group. She enjoyed visiting with friends and family, putting together Jigsaw puzzles, collecting old glass beads and cobalt blue glass.
Connie died on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at Cherokee Regional Medical Center.
Preceding Connie in death were her parents; her parents-in-law, Carl and Luella (Degen) Grienke; her husband Richard on Dec. 28, 2011; brother Jim Bortscheller; two brothers-in-law, Dale Bugh and Murphy Copeland.
Survivors include daughter Judy Grienke-Miller of Cherokee; her siblings: Larry (Jan) Bortscheller of Spirit Lake; MaryKay (Fred) Roling of Remsen; Patty Bortscheller of Sioux City; Jean Copeland of Waverly, Tenn.; Fred (Colleen) Bortscheller of Le Mars; Rosie (Dan) Kunkel of Remsen; and Karen (Bruce) Wigg of LaPorte City; sisters-in-law, Claudeen Bugh of Quimby; and Kathy Bortscheller of Pinellas Park, Fla. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends.
