Lauralea (Peace) Radke, 86, of Ottawa, Kansas passed away on Thursday, February 20, 2025 at Rock Creek Nursing Home in Ottawa, Kansas.
Lauralea was born on April 21, 1938 near Sterling, Johnson County, Nebraska, the daughter of Lloyd Oral “Mike” Peace and Crystal Kathryn (Ostrander) Peace. Her father was a farmer and stockman, and her mother a housewife and interior decorator.
In 1942, the family moved to a farm near Princeton, KS. After a happy childhood, Lauralea graduated from Princeton High School in 1956. She moved to Lawrence for five years where she attended the University of Kansas to major in English and Journalism. She also worked as an editor and proofreader at the University Press, the University Public Relations Bureau, and the University Film Distribution Center.
She married John E. Radke at Ottawa Methodist Church on March 30, 1958. In 1962, they moved to Hoisington, KS where she worked for the Federal Crop Insurance Agency, and then the Hoisington Lutheran Hospital as office manager. After giving birth to a daughter, she worked for the Radke Real Estate / Insurance Agency. Over the years she took a number of various courses in order to serve as her husband’s assistant in his work as Cheyenne Bottom’s Preserve Manager for the Nature Conservancy. She also studied Organ, Music History, and Creative Writing for several years.
After John’s death, Lauralea worked as secretary and bookkeeper for the First Southern Baptist Church of Great Bend.
In 2000, she moved to Baldwin City, KS where she worked for the Baldwin State Bank until she retired in 2010. In 2014, Lauralea’s beloved daughter Christina passed away, so she moved to Ottawa, KS. She resided at Sunflower Plaza Towers and joined the First Christian Church.
Lauralea was a faithful church member at Princeton Methodist, Emanuel Lutheran of Lawrence, Concordia Lutheran of Hoisington, and Ives Chapel Methodist of Baldwin City. At each church she served as pianist, organist, choir member, children’s choir director and catechism teacher, as well as holding offices in the church women’s organizations.
Over the years she enjoyed writing poetry, short stories, and biography, and was a member and officer of several writing organizations, including Great Plains Writers Association. She published the Post Rock Poetry Newsletter. At schools and clubs, she gave talks on creative writing and poetry and the work of The Nature Conservancy.
Gardening was another primary interest, and she won awards for Yard of the Month several times while in Hoisington. She collected and identified many of the plants in Cheyenne Bottoms, while volunteering for The Nature Conservancy.
She is preceded in death by husband, John; daughter, Christina Radke Madl; her parents, Lloyd and Crystal Peace; her brother, Arlen Peace; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
She is survived by her grandson, Mitchell John Madl; a brother, Douglas Peace and his wife, Erma, of Mission, TX; a sister-in-law, MaryLou Peace of Fort Collins, CO; three nieces, Marlene Gebhart of Loveland, CO, Susan Lewis of LaPorte, CO, and Damita Peace of Rochester, NY; and a nephew, Hank Martin.
Funeral services will be held at a later time. Memorial contributions may be made to Mid-America Nutrition or church of choice and sent c/o Lamb-Roberts-Price Funeral Home, P.O. Box 14, Ottawa, KS 66067. Condolences may be sent to the family through www.lamb-roberts.com.
