Martha Neidecker

Martha Neidecker was born March 12, 1927 in New Ulm, MN to Alois and Annie (Portner) Lamecker. Martha grew up and attended school in New Ulm until her parents moved to a farm near Lafayette in 1941. The family returned to New Ulm in 1947 where Martha worked at Wearwell Garment and F.W. Woolworth. She was united in marriage to Leonard Neidecker on June 14, 1950 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in New Ulm. The couple moved to Sleepy Eye in 1953 and Martha was a seasonal employee for Del Monte Foods until 1958. She then worked for 11 years at National Foods, then as a sales manager for Montgomery Wards. She also worked at Martinka's Our Own Hardware for six years and was a distributor for Shaklee Distributing. Martha was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sleepy Eye where she served as a Eucharistic Minister, Lector, and Commentator. She held offices in the Christian Mother's Society, Brown County Triad, Divine Providence Auxiliary, Brown County Committee on Aging, and Sleepy Eye Senior Citizens. She was instrumental in the development of the Senior Citizen's Center, as part of the new Sleepy Eye Community Center. Martha was honored as Brown County's Senior Citizen of the Year in 1997. She also volunteered at the food shelf and the Minnesota Historical Society's Harkin Store. Martha enjoyed baking, cooking, home decorating, playing cards and dominos, old-time music and dancing, and above all, being with family and friends. Martha is survived by her daughter, Marsha and husband Donald Zemler of Sauk Centre; granddaughter Marie Zemler Wu, husband Sherman, and children Ryah (7), Elliot (4), and Tilly (1) of Boston; grandson Matthew Zemler, wife Ingrid, and children Matthew, Jr. (2) and Jasper (1) of Duluth; grandson David Zemler of Minneapolis; sister Marie Reinhart of New Ulm; and sister-in-law Delores Lamecker of Willmar. She is preceded in death by husband Leonard Neidecker (2004); son Richard Neidecker (1998); infant daughter Trisha Neidecker (1966); infant sister Agnes Lamecker; brother Otto Lamecker; sister Rosie Hamann and husband Delton; brother-in-law Leroy Reinhart; sister-in-law Marcella (Neidecker) Weller and husband Lester Sr.; sister-in-law Madeline (Neidecker) Evers and husband Theodore (Jockey); and numerous friends and relatives. First Visitation 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm Friday, March 13, 2015 Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye Chapel 301 - 3rd Ave. S.W. Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, United States 56085 Second Visitation 7:30 am - 10:00 am Saturday, March 14, 2015 Sturm Funeral Home, Sleepy Eye Chapel 301 - 3rd Ave. S.W. Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, United States 56085 Service Information 10:30 am Saturday, March 14, 2015 St. Mary's Catholic Church-Sleepy Eye 636 1st Ave. North Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, United States 56085 Interment Information St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery 720 3rd Ave. N.E. Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, United States 56085