Joseph Weierke
Posted By Ballard Sunder Funeral Home On March 27, 2016 @ 3:20 pm In 2016,Obituaries | 22 Comments
Joe Weierke, age 30, of Chaska, passed away surrounded by his family on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2016. A visitation will be held on Thursday, April 7, 2016 from 9-11AM with a Memorial Service beginning at 11AM all at Pax Christi Catholic Community, 12100 Pioneer Trail, Eden Prairie. Deacon Al Schroeder will preside. Joe’s sister, Kristi, and brothers, Matthew and Luke, will be urn bearers.
On November 13, 1985 Mary (Hedstrom) and Bob Weierke celebrated the birth of their youngest child, Joseph Paul Weierke. As the baby of the family, Mary worried Joe would be spoiled, especially by his brother Luke who doted over him. Yet Joe grew to be a kind person who always put others before himself despite the obstacles he faced in life.
While accompanying Mary to a physical therapy appointment, the doctor noticed something amiss with Joe’s gait. At age six a diagnosis was given, Joe had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Joe was a fighter. He survived many long hospital stays with pneumonia at St. Paul Children’s Hospital. His family will be forever grateful for the loving care he received there. Joe continued to walk unassisted until the age of nine.
During his school days, Joe was shy, often keeping to himself and his studies. His teachers and paras always encouraged Joe’s education. When it came time for Joe’s high school graduation, he worried there wouldn’t be people to cheer when he accepted his diploma. Unbeknownst to Joe, he had a cheering section. Joe was astonished when he heard the seemingly endless applause from his former and current teachers, paras, and classmates.
For the past 22 years, Joe’s favorite pastime was attending car shows with family. He could identify the make, model, and year by a car’s head lights. Matthew and Bob would take Joe to car dealerships to test drive the vehicles. Often, Joe knew more about the cars than the salesman. Joe also enjoyed attending concerts with his mom and going out on the pontoon and going for long walks with family and friends.. Spending time with family was important to Joe. When he was granted a wish by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Joe choose to take his family on a vacation.
Within the past four years, Joe decided to become more social. He quickly became acquainted with his neighbors, always stopping to chat when he was outside. Joe was well known by the employees of Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowes—his favorite places to go with Bob. In the final days of Joe’s life, he invited friends and family to visit him. He encouraged them not to worry or cry for him. Joe told his family if he had to live his life over again, he’d take the same one, even if it meant being sick, because it made his family stronger and more connected.
Joe was a kind, compassionate, and positive person. He will be deeply missed by his parents, Mary (Hedstrom) and Bob Weierke; siblings, Kristi Weierke, Matt (Amanda King) Weierke, and Luke (Katie) Weierke; nephews and nieces, Brandon, Brianna, Angelo, Alyssa, Weston, and Wyatt; grandmother, Maragret Hedstrom; many other loving relatives and friends. Joe is preceded in death by his grandfather, Earl Hedstrom, and grandparents, Mildred and Paul Weierke.
The Weierke family extends a special thank you to Paul Holmes and Pam Hanson for their support and encouragement over the years. Dan, Marcia and Mike at Rehab Designs, we will forever love you for your immediate response to Joe’s wheelchair needs and your friendship. He loved you so much. Dan Cleve, his home respiratory therapist, for helping him through many difficult times. Gary Dungey for the amazing trips you made possible for Joe.
Joe and his family were truly blessed to have exceptional doctors caring for him during his journey. A very special thanks to Doctors Ann Dunnigan, Stephen Smith, Paul Kubic, Jospeph Kandiko and Rolland Pistuka for their loving care throughout his life. We also want to thank his homecare nurses, Rachael, Phoebe, Jenny and all those along the way, who came to be like family.
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May Joe r.i.p I knew him he was a great guy . Forever u will be missed
So sorry to see this. Joe was a strong boy. I was Joe’s Third Grade teacher at Jonathan Elementary. He taught me about strength, perseverance and resilience. It was an honor to be his teacher. My thoughts, love and hope for peace go out to all who knew and loved Joe.
Kristi & family, I’m so sorry to hear of Joe’s passing. Love, hugs & prayers to you all!
Love Tina
My thoughts and prayers are with you all!
Sorry for loss Bobby…
My deepest sympathies to the Weierke Family.
It’s been many years, but I remember Joe in Kindergarten at Guardian Angels …. a shy little boy just beginning school.
So sorry to hear that he had to go through so much in his short life time.
May you all find peace in days to come.
Ms. Franke
Physical Education Teacher, Guardian Angels School.
So sorry for your loss joe was a wonderful person!! Love yah all!!
Sending my Prayers and Blessings to you Mary, your family , and friends.
God’s Blessings
Mary Huge
My heartfelt sympathies to the Weierke Family. I really enjoyed my conversations with Joe as he circled the
neighborhood each summer. He always spoke of his love of family and all the latest updates in each of their lives. He was also so positive and interested in my life as well. While I gardened, I hoped Joe would ride by so I could take a break and talk to this very special, kind and thoughtful person I grew to call my friend. My. Heart goes out to you all ! May your beautiful memories offer you some comfort in the days ahead.
So very sorry for your loss. I know Joe will be greatly missed my my son, Nate. Our deepest sympathy to all of you. Elaine and Gary Lenzen and family.
we all at Children’s Respiratory are saddened to hear over Joseph’s passing. So many of our clinicians and staff knew as the most cheerful and optimistic individual, with a good word for everyone.Super bright and so caring!We will all miss him.
Dear Joe,
I will miss our visits as you passed by my driveway. You always paused to ask about the girls and listened patiently while I prattled on and on! I will never forget the times you would stay by Pippin and I as we walked the circle, going slow even though you usually flew fast through Tuscany Hills. I will miss you kindness and friendship. To me you will always be Saint Joseph!
Until we meet again-
Love,
Vanessa Behun
What a wonderful strong young man. He will be be very remembered in this life. He holds the key to a wonderful new life. God bless you Joe and all who knew you.
Dear Mary and family,
You have an angel in heaven who has loved and shared his life with you. Such a beautiful tribute you’ve written of your son Joe. My prayers to you as you celebrate his life.
Carol Seifert Johnson
I got to hear Joe’s story from his Aunt Jeanie and laughed and prayed with her for the last 20 years. He was so special to her and brought a smile to her face when she talked about him. Then our son moved into the neighborhood and met Joe and he would tell me about all their visits and how much he thought of Joe and how friendly and kind he was to all on his trips through the neighborhood. One special young man that finished his duties on Earth to soon that God must have big plans for Joe in Heaven. Wishing you all peace!
Prayers and may God bless you all!
I am so sorry to hear about Joe’s death. I wish I had met him. He sounds like such an inspiration! Heartfelt blessings to you and your family.
So sorry for your loss Joe is riding in the car of his dreams we worked at the dealer ship in Chaska and Waconia had interesting bus rides Joe was fun to be with I requested working with him as much as possible but still had to share him with the other paras from CHS he left his mark on our hearts. Wishing you and your family peace during this difficult time.
I never got to meet Joe personally, but I feel like I know him just a little bit through Matt. From what I’ve been told, he was definitely a warrior who lived every day to the fullest. I know that he was funny, smart, stubborn (like his brother Matt), kind and caring, and one the most genuine people I wasn’t lucky enough to meet in person. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you during this difficult time. Know that you have an angel up in heaven watching over and protecting you!
Dear Mary, I was so sorry to hear of Joe’s passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and you family. May God bring you comfort in the days ahead. With love, Jen and Peter, Brisbane, Australia.
Mary and Bob Weierke,
Joe was an amazing person and I enjoyed being his nurse and was grateful for every laugh we shared. He was patient, gracious, kind and so strong. I heard from Joe himself how much he loved his family members and how proud he was of their successes, no matter how small. I’m sad I’ll miss Joes memorial since I’ll be out of town.
Dearest Mary, Bob & family,
We were so sorry to hear of Joe’s death, but so grateful for his mom , dad, & siblings who cared for him. What a family of love & nurturing for Joe. His big smile says it all!
Thank you for everything you did to make him feel a part of the family, school & community. Joe has left a mark on all those who knew him & were a part of his life. What a beautiful witness on accepting a disability & enabling & encouraging him to be a child of God. May you feel God’s presence & arms around you as you celebrate Joe’s life.
Know that you’ve done a fantastic job for 30 years and have now walked him home to eternal life. God’s blessings & gratitude to you for what you have taught us.
Love, Hugs & Prayers,
Cliff & Mary Klehr
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Dearest Mary,
I am so sorry to hear that your darling boy has left his home here on earth. I celebrate in my heart that he is now in his forever home with Jesus.
I did not know Joe although I have heard and read what an outstanding young man he had become. This doesn’t surprise knowing the mother that raised him. You must feel much pride midst your sadness.
The older I get, the more I appreciate being raised in a small town and small schools. Even though families and events separate “old friends”; there are some bonds that always stay strong. Know that this old friend is holding you in my heart and prayers. My sympathies to your entire family…Momma Margaret, Pete, Paul and Bob and all…
Mary