Delvin Henke

Delvin R. Henke of Montello went to his heavenly home at the age of 87 on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at the home of his daughter in Berlin, Wisconsin. He was born in Portage to Raymond and Mildred (Ross) Henke. Delvin lived his entire life in Montello, Wisconsin, only moving to Berlin eight months ago. He was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Montello. In 1956, Delvin graduated from Montello High School. He married his high school sweetheart, Jean Buchholz, on June 1, 1958; together they raised a family and faithfully cared for each other.

In high school, “Del” started working at H.A. Freitag’s garage in Montello and remained there for 20 years. Following that, he worked for General Telephone in Portage fixing vehicles and at Bob Meyer Ford in Princeton. Del then started his own business, Del’s Repair, where he worked on vehicles and small engines and sold Toro products for over 30 years. He was well known in the community for his work, picking up lawn mowers and servicing customers. Del claimed that he did not officially retire until age 77, when he closed-up shop. He also served the community on the Montello Volunteer Fire Department for 25 years. Delvin was the janitor/groundskeeper for many years at St. John’s Lutheran Church and School and rang the church bell every Sunday.

In his free time, Delvin enjoyed ice fishing and woodworking. He took a clock class and an upholstery class, adding to his hobbies. A man of many talents, he did numerous home improvements to his house. Helping his family was also a priority for him. He made sure his daughters knew how to change a tire and keep their vehicles serviced. Even in his final years, he was able to answer mechanical, lawn mower, and snowblower questions.

Delvin is survived by his wife of 67 years, Jean and three daughters: Rebecca (Jeffrey) Miller of Berlin, Rachel (Jay) Annala of Chaska, MN and Sarah (Jay) Dahlke of Hudson. He is further survived by nine grandchildren: Hannah (Curtis) Lehman, Benjamin (Sara) Miller, Nathan (Lauren) Miller, Jacob Eakin, Andrew Henke, RayAnne Annala, Rebecca (Zach) Tietz, Katie Dahlke and Lucas Dahlke as well as eleven great-grandchildren: Ethan & Effie Lehman; Eldo & Jeremiah Miller; Isaiah, Titus, & Miriam Miller; Aidan, Leevi, & Oaklee Eakin; and Gracelynn Tietz. Other survivors include: son-in-law, Richard Eakin, brother-in-law, Ralph (Diane) Buchholz, sisters-in-law: Marlene Buchholz and Sandra Buchholz, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Delvin is preceded in death by his parents, daughters: Ruth Henke and Carol Eakin; infant son, Douglas Henke; in-laws: Adolph and Florence Buchholz; brothers-in-law: Edward Buchholz and Orland Buchholz.

The funeral service for Delvin Henke will be on Saturday, August 16, 2025 at 11:00 AM at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Montello. Visitation will be from 9:00 AM until the hour of service. Pastor John Dolan will preside and burial will follow at Eastside Cemetery. Memorials may be given to St. John’s Lutheran Church or Emmanuel Lutheran Church (Big Mecan), both of Montello.

Crawford Funeral and Cremation Service of Montello and Oxford is honored to be serving the family. www.CrawfordFH.com