Louise Anna Clara (nee) Maschmann Renken was born August 26, 1892 to Fred Maschmann and Louise (nee) Kunker at Clatonia, Nebraska, in Gage County. Here she was baptized in a nearby Lutheran Church in infancy. As a small child she, with her parents, moved to Ruskin, Nebraska, in Nuckolls County on a farm. She attended St. Paul's Lutheran Church and school near Ruskin and was confirmed there on March 24, 1907 by Pastor M. Einfeldt. Her confirmation text was Revelations 2, 2:20: Be thou faithful until death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Louise was the eldest child of eleven children. Her mother passed away at an early age in 1912 and Louise helped and cared for her younger sisters and brothers as a mother.

On September 24, 1913 Louise was united in holy wedlock to Henry J. Renken, in the same church in which she was confirmed, by J.H. Dageforde. To this union she and her husband were blessed with two daughters, Mrs. Elsie Effenbeck of Chester, Nebraska, and Mrs. Alvin (Esther) Biermann of Mound City, Missouri. Mrs. Renken and her husband were engaged in farming for many years at Ruskin, Byron, and Chester, Nebraska and Republic, Kansas. In 1944 she and her family moved into Chester, Nebraska.

Louise was well known for doing practical nursing for many years, also being a nurses aid for some time at Dr. Reed's Hospital in Deshler, Nebraska. This was a charitable work she enjoyed very much. In 1962 her failing health forced her to give up on the many things of work she dearly loved to do.

It was also in 1962 she entered the Blue Valley Lutheran Home after being hospitalized in a serious coma, a victim of Diabetes. She received excellent nursing and spiritual care, hearing the word of God daily and the Sacrament of Communion administered often by Pastor Bauer and previous pastors of St. John's. Being a faithful member of the Lutheran Church all her life and also a member of the Ladies Aid, she became even drawn closer to her Savior Jesus Christ during her illness.

She had great interest in piecing quilts and looked forward to the craft projects in the craft room and joining others who too, were patients there. Louise did have a great willpower to go on in life as she enjoyed work and in her past year still had hoped to again, be able to be active. She will be remembered as s e (sic) was by many as she was ever willing to help anyone in time of need and had toiled hard over a long period of years.

She had much concern for all her family. In her dying moments she still showed her concern for her daughters when they were beside and she bid Elsie and Esther farewell.

She passed away quietly on Thursday, April 7, 1977 in the Thayer County Memorial Hospital in Hebron, Nebraska, at 12:25 p.m., at the age of 84 years, 7 months and 7 days. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband in 1953, her son-in-law, Ludwig Effenbeck, in 1951, three sisters, Katherine Kolling, Lena Tambke and Sophie Attenhan; four brothers, Henry, Albert, Fred and Harold.

Those mourning her loss are her two daughters, Mrs. Elsie Effenbeck of Chester, Nebraska, and Mrs. Alvin (Esther) Biermann of Mound City, Missouri; one son-in-law, Alvin Biermann, six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. Her brother, Will Maschmann, Ruskin, Nebraska; two sisters, Mrs. Emina Attenbah of Deshler, Nebraska, and Mrs. Ella Black of Omaha, Nebraska, and many other relatives and friends.

She was a resident of the Blue Valley Lutheran Home for the past 15 years and will be missed by her family and friends at the home and elsewhere.

Services were held in St. John's Lutheran Church on April 11, 1977 at 2:00 p.m. Interment was in the Lutheran Cemetery at Chester, Nebraska. Montgomery Hacker was in charge.

Soloist was Ardis Maschmann, niece of Louise. She sang "Asleep in Jesus." Pallbearers were six of her nephews, Orville Atenhan, Donald Atenhan, Ernest Kelling, Dale Maschmann, Bruce Maschmann and James Maschmann. Congregational hymns: "Who Know When Death May Overtake Me" and "Come Ye Disconsolate."