Imelda Rose Huhnke

Imelda Rose Huhnke (née Murphy), 81, of Wichita, KS, lost her fight against Lewy body dementia on June 15, 2021. She is survived by her daughters, Marie Huhnke of Sandwich, MA, and Michelle Huhnke of Berwyn, IL, and her son, Matthew Huhnke, of Wichita, KS. She has two beloved grandchildren, Kate Scheffer and Henry Scheffer, and a treasured grandson-in-law, Sauron Sanchez. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 55 years, Roger Huhnke, of Wichita, KS, and her family from the Virden, IL area and outwards. They are: her father, George Murphy, her mother, Marie (Clarke) Murphy, her brothers, George T. Murphy, Robert Murphy, and Bernard Murphy, and her sister, Agnes (Murphy) Mentel.

Imelda’s story started in Virden, IL, on a farm surrounded by her loving family of her mother and seven siblings. She loved being right in the center of whatever activity they were up to. Her adventuresome spirit was certainly evident when she got the opportunity to attend St. Scholastica College in Brainerd, MN. She graduated in 1960, with a degree in education. She and her roommate headed across the US, hoping for teaching jobs in California, but both found positions in the Phoenix, AZ Catholic school system. She met her future husband, Roger, in Phoenix, where he was attending business school. In 1963, they married, and continued their lives of adventure, together then, by first moving to Buenos Aires, Argentina, then to NYC NY, and then the south shore of MA, and then . . . and then… and then…

Imelda and Roger finally fetched up in Wichita, KS, where Imelda lived for over 35 years. Our Mom followed her interest in finances and investing, earning her Certified Financial Planner designation while working for Waddell and Reed, Inc., a mutual fund investment firm, as a ROCK STAR. Many of her clients were teachers from the surrounding school systems. She retired from “W&R” in 2019 at the age of 79.

Services will be held on Wednesday, June 23, 2021. Visitation will be at Blessed Sacrament Church, Springfield, IL from 10:00 to 11:00, followed by a Funeral Mass from 11:00 to 12:00, and procession to the interment at Calvary Cemetery, also in Springfield. Lunch to follow.