Lorraine Axberg

Lorraine D. Axberg age 91 of Fredericksburg, IA died Friday, May 18, 2018 at Hillcrest Home in Sumner, IA. Lorraine was a lifelong member of St. John’s in Frederika. Visitation and Services will be on Friday, May 25, 2018 at St John’s Lutheran Church, Frederika, IA. . Visitation begins at 10:00 a.m. followed by service at 11:00 a.m. Final resting place, St John’s Cemetery, Rural Dresden Township, Chickasaw County, Iowa. Arrangements are entrusted to Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home in Fredericksburg. (563) 237-6212 Lorraine Darlene Huebner was born to Amanda (Testorff) and Frederick Huebner in Fredericka Township, Bremer County, Iowa. Lorraine attended country school in Leroy Township through the eighth grade. With the untimely death of her father, after a farm accident in 1943, Lorraine started to take on the role of caretaker at the family. She worked with her mother and younger brothers, Vernon and Lyle, on the family farm until she was 18. At that time she moved to Fredericksburg, IA. She met Ray Schmudlach, not long after his return from World War II, and they were married on October 16, 1946. Ray worked for the City Maintenance Department and Lorraine had a large garden on a double lot in town. She canned and preserved most of the garden produce. Lorraine worked at the Tripoli Canning Plant and then at the Egg Candling plant in Fredericksburg, for many years. Ray passed in 1975. Lorraine still had her house & large gardens in Fredericksburg, along with the even larger one at the Huebner Family Farm. She continued to preserve and can with her mother, Amanda, while her brothers ran the farm. Life on the farm became even more busy after Lyle married Velesta (Snider) Huebner and they began a family together. Never having children of her own, Lorraine helped to raise and care for the five Huebner children. She loved all of them as if they were her own. She continued working at the “egg plant” and eventually started working in the office as a secretary. There she met Arthur Axberg, as he was bringing in eggs to sell from his farm. They were eventually married on April 28, 1978, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Frederika. Art was involved in the local Square Dance Club, and Lorraine quickly joined in. She enjoyed sewing matching outfits for their outings with the Swinging Squares. The couple moved to a new house, on the Axberg family farm, that Art had built for her. Art and Lorraine had a successful farm and a full life together. She would always have a meal ready for Art when he came in from feeding the livestock, and would take lunch to him in the field with the pick-up truck during the harvest. After her mother died, Lorraine continued to tend to and assist her brothers any way that she could. Art worked on the farm many years and then went to the nursing home in New Hampton. Although Art was away from home, Lorraine would drive to be with him during the day, and to share a thermos of coffee and a box of crispy homemade cookies. Art passed in 2012. Around 2014, Lorraine had some serious medical issues, and could no longer be at her home, in rural northern Bremer County. She then moved to the Hillcrest Home in Sumner, and was wonderfully cared for there until the time of her passing. She was greatly loved and will be greatly missed. Lorraine was preceded in death by her parents, her first husband, Ray Schmudlach (2/10/1975), oldest brother, Vernon Ernest Huebner (2/8/2002), and second husband, Arthur G. Axberg (3/6/2012). She is survived by her youngest brother, Lyle Frederick Huebner of Rural Sumner, four nephews, Joel in Lansing, IA, Frederick in North English, Iowa, David in Michigan, Logan in rural Sumner, IA, one niece, Jennifer (Matt) Oyen in Little Canada, Minnesota. Six great nephews Derrick, Jacob, Ethan, Kyl, Ahren, Carter, and five great nieces Amanda, Hailey, Madison, Mara, Brooklyn, and one great-great niece, Aria.