Audrey Blanke, age 93, of Plymouth, passed away on Monday (August 16, 2021) at Rocky Knoll
Health Care Center where she had been a resident for the past year.
She was born on December 25, 1927, a Christmas baby and daughter of the late Jerome and
Margaret (née Busha) Schamberger (formally of Elkhart Lake).
She attended Mapledale grade school in the town of Sheboygan and Holy Name Catholic
school in Sheboygan and graduated from Elkhart Lake High School in 1945. On November 18,
1950 she was married to Charles Blanke in Plymouth. Shortly there after the couple moved to
Wichita Falls, TX for a few years while Charles was stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base
during the Korean War. After the war, the couple moved back to Plymouth, where Audrey
started her lifelong career of over 30 years in the business office of the Plymouth hospital. Her
husband preceded her in death on October 2, 1976.
Ever since she was a young girl, Audrey was very adventurous. The woods behind her house
led to Turtle Bay, and along with her sisters she would sneak off to go skinny-dipping in Elkhart
Lake or other times to nearby B.A.B. quarry a few miles away. Later on in life, she would go
deer hunting, both in northern Wisconsin and in Wyoming, where she once shot an antelope at
nearly 700 yards with her 30-06 rifle. She also love to go fishing, camping, and snowmobiling,
both around the Plymouth area and up North. Audrey also owned a 1940’s Harley-Davison with
a suicide-clutch, and along with her husband, they would go cruising the county every chance
they had during the summer months. In addition to loving the outdoors, Audrey enjoyed travel.
She traveled around the Western states by car with her family as a child, and continued to travel
for most of her life, visiting many of the lower 48-states, Hawaii, Mexico, several Caribbean
islands, and Australia twice amongst her travels. However, life wasn’t just about adventure for
Audrey, it was also about helping and caring for others. She volunteered for many years at her
church, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Plymouth, and the Plymouth food pantry, where she was
also a board member. She was also a past member of the women’s auxiliary of the Plymouth
VFW Post 5612.
She is survived by: one son, Jeff (Natalie) Blanke of Plymouth; ten sisters and brothers:
Beatrice Hafemann of Plymouth, Patricia Kalis of Milwaukee, Katherine (Roland) Thede of New
Holstein, Chris (Glen) Limberg of Elkhart Lake, Susan (Wayne) Goetsch of Plymouth, Sandra
(Mike) Bruneau of Medford, Peter (Kitty) Schamberger of Mequon, Richard (Marsha)
Schamberger of Elkhart Lake, James (Pam) Schamberger and J.R. Schamberger both of West
Bend; and one brother-in-law: Roland Blanke of Sheboygan Falls. She is also survived by many
nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends; and two grand-dogs: Sammy and Bella.
In addition to her parents and husband, Audrey was preceded in death by three brothers:
Thomas, Gerald, and George Schamberger; two sisters: Shirley Augoulas and Carol Kahn; and
one infant sister: Anita.
Visitation will take place on Tuesday (August 24, 2021) at the Suchon Funeral Home in
Plymouth from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, with a service to follow at 4:00 PM. Mother Michele
Whitford, Pastor of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, will officiate. Cremation will take place following
the services. Inurnment will be at Woodlawn Cemetery in Plymouth.
The Suchon Funeral Home and Cremation Services is assisting the family. For online
condolences, please visit www.suchonfh.com.
The family would also like to thank the nursing, life enrichment, and other staff members at
Rocky Knoll Health Care Center and Sharon S. Richard Community Hospice for their wonderful
care of Audrey.
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