Lillian June Brandenburg

Lillian June Brandenburg, 88, of South Bend, passed away Tuesday morning, May 1, 2012, at Bremen Health Care in Bremen.

Lillian was born May 26, 1923 in Warsaw, the first of nine children of the late Ernest and Vivian Bertha (Chubb) Barth. She grew up in the Warsaw area.

On August 19, 1941 in Warsaw, she married Oscar Earl Brandenburg. They moved to South Bend in 1943, to Mishawaka in 1999 and to Bremen Health Care in 2001.

Lillian worked as a fur cutter at Mr. Leonard’s Furs in South Bend. She was a talented seamstress and had her own tailoring and alterations business from her home.

Lillian attended First Church of God in South Bend. She was active with church fund raisers, Camp Fire Girls, PTA and was a member and officer with the Moose Lodge in South Bend. Lillian was very artistic and enjoyed ceramics as well as having a great love for sewing. In later years Lillian and Oscar enjoyed ball room dancing.

Lillian’s surviving family includes her husband of nearly 71 years, Oscar; two children, Michael Brandenburg and Arletha “Sam” (Philip) Gleissner; four grandchildren, Laura (Jamie) Johnston, Michelle (James) Shelley, Eric Gleissner and Susan Gleissner; eight great grandchildren, Amanda Ludwick, Brandon Johnston, Steven Tracey, Andrew Tracey, Nicole Shelley, Guy Shelley, Rosalin Shelley and Ethan Gleissner; two great-great grandchildren, Aiden and Kolten Ludwick; three sisters, Louise Sponseller, Jean VanScoik and Wilma Tobey; two brothers, Wilbur Barth and Clifford Wolfe.

Lillian was preceded in death by three brothers, Robert Barth, Sr., William Barth and Donald Wolfe.

Services honoring Lillian’s life will be held Friday at 11 am in Goethals & Wells Funeral Home, 503 W. 3rd Street, Mishawaka, with Pastor Neil Wonnacott officiating. Burial will follow at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens, Osceola.

Friends may spend time with Lillian’s family Friday from 9 - 11 am in the funeral home.

Memorials are suggested to the Center for Hospice Care or the St. Vincent DePaul Society. Assistance with memorials is available at the funeral home.