Darlene Ida May Stuedemann's Obituary
Darlene Ida May Stuedemann, age 99, of Clinton, Iowa, died February 18, in Iowa City. Services will be held at Elvira Zion Lutheran Church on Saturday, March 1, at 11am. Visitation will be held at Elvira Zion Lutheran Church starting at 9am the same day as the funeral.
Burial will be in Center Grove Cemetery.
Darlene was born February 27, 1925, the daughter of August and Eda (Moehr) Dethmann, in rural Clinton County. She was a 1943 Elvira High School graduate and married her classmate, Walter Stuedemann, on September 30, 1945 at Zion Lutheran Church in Clinton, IA. Darlene and Walter farmed near Elvira until retiring in 1989. She was an active member of Elvira Zion Lutheran church for over 90 years where she taught Sunday School and Bible Bethel Class. Darlene was the 4-H leader for the Elvira Hi Ho 4-H Club, YWCA Mother of the Year in 1974 and taught quilting at Clinton Community College. In 1967 she hosted a Foreign Exchange student from the Philippines. In 1950, she acquired her first English Bulldog and in 1970, began her long career of breeding and showing champion bulldogs. She went on to breed 79 AKC champion bulldogs, including four in the Bulldog Club of America (BCA) Hall of Fame, including Champion Beauties Amos,
the number one AKC bulldog in the country in 2000, Champion Blonde Beauty who produced 13 AKC champions more than any other bulldog bitch. She won four George M Becket awards which means she had four bulldogs that produced more champions in the last five years than any other AKC bulldog in the country.
She was a member of the Clinton Iowa Kennel Club (starting in 1976) and held all the offices as well as show chairman and dog training teacher. She was a charter member (1988) of the Bulldog Club of Central Iowa. She was active in the BCA and served as National Treasurer, Counselor, Standards Committee and History Committee Chairman. She was an AKC judge, judging in the nonsporting group. She wrote many articles that were published in The Bulldog Annual, The Sourmug and the BCA Bulldogger. She was inducted in the BCA Hall of Fame in 1980. In 2019 she was inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame for Outstanding Individual Contributors to BCA for over 35 years of service. Darlene was an avid collector of all things related to bulldogs and accumulated an amazing collection over the years.
Darlene collected hundreds of documents/articles related to Moehr, Dethmann and Stuedemann family history and genealogy, which she organized into large binders. She loved to travel and see new places and experience new cultures. She also liked to attend her flowers and always had a colorful garden.
Darlene is survived by her children: Ross Stuedemann of
Oxford, Iowa, Renee Stuedemann of Chicago, Ill and Reed (Susan)
Stuedemann of East Peoria, Il; grandchildren: Justin (Anne)
Stuedemann of Kansas City, KS, Jesse (Katie) Stuedemann of Denver, CO and Sara Stuedemann of Madison, WI; great grandchildren: Ella and Ava Stuedemann of Kansas City, KS, Kit and Margot Stuedemann of Denver, CO and niece Kay (Blair) Corder of Oracle, AZ. Denise (Bill) Ryan of Columbus Junction, IA, Diane (Curtis) Claeys of Delmar, IA, Nephew, Ray (Evelyn) Stuedemann of Clinton, IA.
She was proceeded in death by her husband Walter (2008), sister
Arvilla Albaugh, brother-in-law Marvin Albaugh and one grandchild, Jordon Stuedemann.
Memorials may be made to the Elvira Zion Lutheran Church- air conditioner fund.
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