Grace Plude

Racine - Grace Kathryn Plude, 90, passed away at Ridgewood Health Care Center on Friday, December 07, 2007. Grace was born in Racine on March 25, 1917 to the late Carl and Anna (nee: Jespersen) Klingberg. She was united in marriage to Walter D. Plude in Des Moines, Iowa. He preceded her in death in 1959. Grace was a graduate of William Horlick High School, the Augustana Hospital School of Nursing in Chicago, Illinois, and the Lutheran Bible Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She worked as a staff nurse at the Kenosha Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital in Racine. She was also a School Nurse at Dana College in Blair, Nebraska. Grace served as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Nurse Corps in World War II; one year at McCaw General Hospital in Walla Walla, Washington, and three years in the European theater, England, France, and Belgium. She participated in the invasion of Normandy and achieved the rank of Captain. After her Army experience, Grace attended the University of Minnesota where she received her BSN degree in 1949 and MPH degree in 1961. She majored in Public Health and served as Director of the Public Health Nursing Association in Des Moines, Iowa and Director of the Associated Visiting Nurse Services Inc. for 13 years in White Plains, New York. Grace returned to Racine after her early retirement to help care for her aged mother and in more recent years her sister, Alice Klingberg who also preceded her in death on January 19, 2004. Grace was an active member of Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Retired Inactive Nurses Group (RING). Grace is survived by one sister, Lucile (Peter) Thomsen; one niece, Shirley Thomsen; one nephew, John (Sally) Thomsen; two great nieces, Rachel and Anna all of Mishicot; and dear friends Donna and Ted Bidwell of Racine. Funeral services will be held at the Wilson Funeral Home on Monday, December 10, 2007, at 1 pm with Rev. Michael Zolnosky officiating. Interment will be at Graceland Cemetery. Relatives and friends may meet at the funeral home on Monday morning from 11:30 am until service time. Memorials may be directed to Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3319 Washington Ave, Racine, WI 53405.

Grace Plude

March 25, 1917 - December 7, 2007