Lee was born in Avon, South Dakota on June 5, 1924, the eighth child of thirteen. She was raised and formed by this small town farming community. She left Avon at age 18 to attend St. John’s College in Winfield, Kansas, where she was trained to be a parish worker in the Lutheran church. Her first assignment was to Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in St. Louis, Missouri. There she met and married the love of her life, Weldon Priebe. The couple worked as a team in ministry; she his secretary, and he as pastor in three Minnesota parishes: Ogema, Mound, and finally at Eastern Heights Lutheran Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. After his sudden death in 1986, Lee gradually became an encourager and speaker at grief workshops to other widows and widowers. In 2000, she married widower and retired pastor, Norm Spomer, with whom she enjoyed seven years of partnership until his death in 2007.
Though it was one of her ambitions to live in her own home until she was 100, she graciously accepted her move to an assisted living facility about a mile from her home in January 2018. While there she continued to make friends and reach out to the lonely and discouraged.
Lee is survived by sister Arlene Dykstra, brother James (Nadine) Brandt, daughter Lois Hansen of Jackson, WI, son Paul (Linda) Priebe of East Granby, CT, daughter Joy (Joel) Zabel of Johnson City, TN, and son John (Laura) Priebe of Lawrenceburg, IN, as well as honorary daughter Pattianne Demaray, and six grandchildren: Matthew Hansen, Kyle (Betsy) Hansen, Joshua Priebe, Benjamin Priebe, Carolyn Priebe and Katheryn Priebe.
Visitation with the family will be on Monday, February 4 from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm at Wulff Funeral Home 1485 White Bear Ave N, St. Paul MN 55106. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on Tuesday, February 5 at Eastern Heights Lutheran Church, 616 Ruth Street, St. Paul MN 55119. The family will receive friends prior to the service at 10:00 am in the Priebe Chapel at Eastern Heights Lutheran.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Eastern Heights Lutheran Church, 616 Ruth Street, St. Paul, MN 55119.
