Jeneva Luedtke

Jeneva Luedtke passed away on Friday, December 30, 2022, two weeks after her 92^nd birthday.  She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.  Jeneva was known for her kindness and gentle nature and especially for her smile.  Jeneva had a green thumb (it was said she could put a stick in the ground and make it grow) and enjoyed working in her yard and admiring God’s handiwork through the beauty of nature and flower gardens, but her favorite activity was spending time with family.  She loved her family dearly and always made sure to tell them.  She brought constant happiness, comfort and support to all who were around her. 

Jeneva was born in Grimes County near Anderson, Texas, on December 14, 1930, to Will and Minnie (Wehmeyer) Becker.  Her father was a dairyman, and her mother was a seamstress. As a teenager, she worked at the dairy with her father and was responsible for dipping and wrapping ice cream bars.  She graduated from Bryan High School and attended the local business school.  From there she worked in the business office of Texas A&M College. Growing up in Bryan, Texas, it was only natural that she would meet and marry a Texas Aggie.  Jeneva met Charles Luedtke at Bethel Lutheran Church in Bryan and was immediately smitten.  She married Charles on September 3, 1950, and they remained together for 58 years until his death in 2009.  Charles and Jeneva lived in Fort Worth, Texas, after they were married and then moved to Garland, Texas, in 1959 where they raised their family.  Jeneva worked in the admitting office of Garland Memorial Hospital (now Baylor Scott and White Garland) for 17 years. Charles and Jeneva later moved to Sachse, Texas, where they loved sitting on their front porch enjoying warm, sunny days.

Jeneva was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and her sisters Ruby Brown and Mildred Griesse.  She is survived by her sister Dorothy Herwald and her husband, Art, of Bryan, Texas; daughter Elizabeth Donathen and husband, Tim, of College Station, Texas; son Charles Luedtke of Plano, Texas; daughter Judy Leto and husband, Paul, of Richardson, Texas; four granddaughters, Stacey Donathen, Allison Donathen Cox and husband, Ben, Katie Leto and Lauren Leto; two great-grandchildren, Brenden Cox and Devon Cox; and numerous loved nieces and nephews.

Service will be at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, at Tree of Life Lutheran Church in Garland, Texas, with a gravesite service to follow at DFW National Cemetery at 2:00 PM.  Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 PM on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at Charles W. Smith Funeral Home in Sachse, Texas.

Donations and memorials may be directed to Tree of Life Lutheran Church of Garland or The Lutheran Hour.  The family invites you to leave a message or memory in the memorial guestbook.