Linnaea Charmaine Budke

Linnaea Charmaine (Trapp) Budke, age 82, of McCook, passed away Monday, January 6, 2014 at her home. She was born December 2, 1931 in Beverly, Kansas, to Charles and Fairie (Neel) Trapp.

Linnaea grew up in Salina, Kansas, was a graduate of Sacred Heart High School and Brown Mackie Business College. She married James W. Budke at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Salina, Kansas, on September 14, 1950. They lived in Salina and Ellsworth, Kansas; St. Helena, California; and McCook, Nebraska where Jim and Linnaea owned and operated Budke Motors located in McCook and North Platte. To their union was born eight children: Shauna, Tongay, Stephan, Kevin, Taryn, Dion, Charlynn, and Kif.

Linnaea was a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church of McCook.

When one of her grandsons was deployed to Iraq in 2002, she started what became an eight year support of care packages to many soldiers. She has many scrapbooks of thank you letters and notes from soldiers who received over 1000 boxes of more than 10,000 pounds of supplies she personally packed. She was awarded a US Flag, Certificate of Appreciation from the US Army Reserve 308th Transportation Company of Lincoln, Nebraska. She also received the US Army Above and Beyond Award given to a civilian for her generous commitment of time, support, and inspiration to troops during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Linnaea was also named an Admiral of the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska by Governor Mike Johanns for her support of the American soldier.

Besides her passion for the American soldier, she delighted in her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She very much enjoyed flowers, country music especially George Strait and Ray Price, and her precious dog Pepper.

Linnaea was preceded in death by her husband, James; parents Charles and Fairie; sisters, Fairie Lea Koffman and Charlene Hutchison; daughter-in-law Sharon Budke; and grandchildren Trent Hoyt and Kendra Budke.

Survivors include her children, Shauna Stanton, Kearney; Tongay Epp and husband Gale, Columbus; Stephan Budke and wife Irma, North Platte; Kevin Budke, North Platte; Taryn Witt, and husband, Gregory, Thornton, Colorado; Dion Budke and wife Vivian, Panama City Beach, Florida; Charlynn Hamilton, and husband Lynn, Hayes Center; Kif Huffman, and husband James, McCook. She is also survived by beloved niece, Thauna Wood and husband Stephen, Minden; sister Julia Waggoner and husband Don, McPherson, Kansas; brothers, Louis Trapp, Larned, Kansas and Charles Trapp and wife June, Derby, Kansas; brothers-in-law John (Barbara) Hutchinson of Great Bend, KS and Edward (Betty) Budke of McCook; 23 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren. Also surviving are numerous nieces, nephews and extended family.