Beulah Ahrens Obituary

Beulah Ann Oelkers Ahrens, 88, died on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015 at the Golden Living Center West in Rochester.
    Funeral service was Thursday, Nov. 19, at 11 a.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in rural Goodhue with Pastor Jim Bourman officiating. Burial was in Zumbrota Cemetery. Mahn Family Funeral Home – Larson Chapel in Zumbrota handled arrangements.
    Beulah Ann Schumacher was born Oct. 29, 1927 in Chester Township, Wabasha County, to Henry and Anna (Lemmerman) Schumacher. Beulah grew up on the farm and attended school in Mazeppa. On Aug. 4, 1945 she married Arnold Oelkers Sr. at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Mazeppa. They lived in rural Zumbrota on the family farm and later moved to town. Arnold passed away on April 14, 1978. On July 17, 1982 she married Walter Ahrens at Grace Lutheran Church in rural Goodhue. Over their 22 years of marriage, they lived in Zumbrota and Lake City. Walter passed away in 2004. Beulah lived in Lake City until 2010 when she relocated to Golden Living Center West in Rochester. Beulah was a lifelong member of Grace Lutheran Church in rural Goodhue.
    Besides being a farm wife and mother, Beulah worked at Zumco and Ray’s Café over the years. She also worked as a cook at the Zumbrota school, the job she said she liked the best. When her health allowed, Beulah loved to golf with Walter and their friends. She also enjoyed playing cards and traveling. She spent many hours on her iPad reading Facebook and e-mails from her family and friends, skyping, playing games and listening to her favorite music.
    Beulah thrived at Golden Living Center and was known to take the new residents under her wing. She developed many wonderful, loving friendships while there, not only with other residents, but also with families and the staff who cared for her so lovingly.
    Beulah is survived by her children, Arnold Jr. (Kathe) of Waterford, Wis., Steven (Cindy) of Pine Island, David (JoAnn) of Arcadia, Wis., and Carla (Jaime) MacLean of Rochester; step-children, Vicky (Terry) Boelter of Byron, Randy (Vickie) Ahrens of Lake City and Jean (Scot) Meyer of Lake City; 17 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; sisters-in-law, Inez Brunner of Shakopee, Marilyn Schumacher of Zumbrota, and brother-in-law, Virgil Burfeind of Red Wing. Beulah was preceded in death by her husbands, Arnold and Walter; brothers, Walter, Alfred, Levern, Lloyd and Henry; sisters, Leona Weber, Mildred Lohman, Norma Blastervold and Hazel Burfeind and her parents, Henry and Annie Schumacher.
    Memorials are suggested to Grace Lutheran Church. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.mahnfamilyfuneralhome.com.