Doris Hermoe Radke, 96 passed away on May 9, 2012 at St. Francis Nursing Home in Breckenridge, MN. The funeral is at 1:30 pm on Saturday, May 12 at Breckenridge Lutheran Church with Pastor Mark Manning officiating. There will be a visitation an hour and a half prior to the funeral at the church. The interment is at Riverside Cemetery in Breckenridge.
Doris Fern VanTassel was born on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1915 in Kent, MN to Ralph and Myrtle (Chambers) VanTassel. She was baptized in 1916 in the Methodist Church in Sibley, Iowa during a subsequent trip to visit her mother's family. She graduated from Wolverton High School in 1932. Doris then took a one-year teacher's course at Moorhead State Teachers College. She received her certificate to teach in rural schools in the spring of 1933 at the age of 17. She taught in several Wilkin County schools through the years and continued to take evening and summer college courses as time permitted. In 1940, Doris married Oscar Hermoe of Abercrombie, ND and they farmed in Connelly Township in Wilkin County on her parents' farm. After Oscar's death in 1971, she returned to Moorhead State College fulltime, graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education in 1972. She then began teaching third grade in Breckenridge Public School, a position from which she retired in 1976.
Doris was united in marriage to William A. "Tony" Radke in 1976 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. They continued to live in Breckenridge and at their seasonal lake home on OtterTail Lake. They also spent 14 winters in Harlingen, TX. Tony preceded her in death on January 27, 2009 at the age of 95.
Doris was very active in many organizations during her life. She taught Sunday school and held many leadership positions in her church. She was a member of the Wilkin County Homemakers Club, Wilkin County V.F.W Auxiliary, PTA American Association of University Women, and Delta Pi Delta Sorority of Minnesota State University, Moorhead. For many years she was in charge of the spelling contest at the Wilkin County Fair. While wintering in Texas, she was in the H.O.S.T. program at the Harlingen's Alamo High School, tutoring Hispanic students in the English language.
Doris enjoyed cats, oil painting, reading, poetry, sewing, bowling, crossword puzzles and especially being with family. One of her greatest joys was helping her students set and achieve goals, both academic and personal. She will be missed by all who were fortunate enough to have been touched by her life.
Doris is survived by her son Jim (Evie) Hermoe, St. James, MN; her step granddaughter, Robyn (David) Wolf, Lakeville, MN; her step great-grandchildren Ashtyn Wolf and Cayden Wolf; nine nieces and nephews; her special friends Brenda and Mark Conzemius; her favorite 'grandcat', George.
Doris is preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Myrtle VanTassel; her first husband, Oscar Hermoe; her second husband, Tony Radke; her brother Howard and his wife Jean (Minnehan) VanTassel.