The Superior Express -

Hastings resident, Jovita H. Lemke, died Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, at Bryan Medical Center East, Lincoln, Nebraska.

Rosary was at 10 a.m. and Mass of Christian Burial followed at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8, at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Hastings with Father Craig Clinch officiating. Burial was in Parkview Cemetery at Hastings. There was no viewing or visitation. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to St. Cecilia Catholic Church. The service wiwaslive-streamed on Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home's website. To view the service, go to Jovita's obituary and click the play button shown towards the bottom of the page. Condolences may be sent to http://www.lbvfh.com.

Jovita was born on Feb. 14, 1938, to Ed and Ella (Verkamp) Kitten in Lawrence, Nebraska. She attended St. Stephen's Grade School and graduated from Lawrence High School in 1957. Jovita was united in marriage to Delbert Lemke on Jan. 28, 1959. To this union, five children were born. Jovita was a homemaker. She belonged to St Cecilia Catholic Church and St. Cecilia Altar Society and was an active member of the Legion of Mary.

Jovita was a loving wife and mother. She was an excellent cook and her well-stocked kitchen yielded delicious food. She had a loving devotion to God, Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. She volunteered in numerous ways, but her main way was with the Rosary. She led the Rosary for many years in nursing and care facilities, as well as in her church and with family members and friends. She headed a ministry of making many thousands of rosaries along with her helpers and sending them overseas for missions as well as distributing them locally to different organizations. A quote from St. Lucy of Fatima "There is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all, spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families, of the families of the world, or of the religious communities, or even of the life of peoples and nations, that cannot be solved by the Rosary."

Jovita was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Vernon, Richard, Arthur, Leroy and Eddie Kitten; grandsons, Kyle Egan and Travis Egan; sisters, Loretta Schell and Evelyn Ostdiek; and sister-in-law, Glenna Kitten.

Survivors include her husband, Delbert A. Lemke; son, Michael Lemke; daughters and spouse: Deborah and Tom Ostdiek, Sharon Egan, Jean Janda and Judy Lemke; nine grandchildren; sister-in-law, Vicki Kitten; and numerous relatives and friends.