Florence Elizabeth Soetaert

Florence Elizabeth Soetaert passed away at Sweet Life at Rosehill, Kansas, on April 1, 2012 at the age of 93.

Florence was born January 6, 1919, to Alban C. and Effie (Wendt) Rieke at the family farm on 55th Street in Monrovia, Shawnee. She graduated from St. Joseph Grade School and St. Joseph High School in Shawnee. She was married on October 13, 1942, in Shawnee to Maurice Joseph Soetaert, who preceded her in death on March 13, 2005. Florence and Maurice ran a cattle farm near Stilwell, Kansas, until 1946, when they moved to Cody Street in Shawnee, where they raised their four children. Florence was the bookkeeper for Shawnee Grading, her husband's excavation firm. She was also a seamstress from 1961 to 1973 at Window Flair Draperies in Merriam, Kansas. She was president of the St. Joseph High School Mothers Club in 1961 and president of the St. Joseph Bowling League, as well as a scorekeeper for her sons' Shawnee Little League teams.

Upon retirement in 1975, Florence and Maurice moved to Bella Vista, Arkansas, where they spent much time on the golf courses and had an active social and church life. They were among those who helped to found St. Bernard's Parish in Bella Vista, the first Catholic church in that community. In 2002, they moved back to the Kansas City area, first to Leawood, then to Gardner, and finally to Overland Park Place in Overland Park, Kansas.

Florence was a strong, caring and much loved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother and will be greatly missed by all. She had a true flair for cooking and baking and freely shared her table and her recipes with others. Her spinach salads and caramel popcorn disappeared faster that a gambler's money in a casino. She was also a skilled seamstress and had a real talent for crocheting. Her warm and colorful afghans where always in high demand. One of those afghans was auctioned off for more than $500 to help pay for the construction of the new St. Bernard's Church in Bella Vista. She was also an avid flower gardener and a skilled bridge player. She served as an "Ambassador" at Overland Park Place and enjoyed participating in a singing group there.

Florence was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; one son, Marvin Soetaert; a granddaughter, Christine Soetaert; three sisters, Polly Agnitsch, Mary Helen John and Yvonne Nichols; and four brothers, Leonard, Chester, Max and George.

She is survived by one daughter, Carolyn (Ken) Rop of Sterling, Virginia; two sons, Chester (Cathy) Soetaert of Seattle, Washington, and Allen (Barbara) Soetaert of Shawnee; a daughter-in-law, Virginia (Mark) Rosenau of Shawnee; eight grandchildren in Virginia, Kansas, Washington and Texas; 18 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Margaret (Don) Peters of Overland Park and Pat Lynch of Shawnee; two brothers, Paul (Lorene) Rieke and John Rieke, both of Lenexa, Kansas; and sisters-in-law, Helen Rieke of Shawnee, Bernadine (Clarence) Gast of Urbana, Illinois, and Liz Soetaert of Kansas City.

A visitation will be from 9:30-11:00 a.m., Wednesday, April 4, 2012, and Celebration of Life will follow at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church where she was baptized, confirmed, married and where her Rieke family was among the 19th century founders of the parish. Inurnment will be at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Shawnee, Kansas.

Memorial contributions may be made to Sister Servants of Mary, 800 N. 18th Sreet., Kansas City, Kansas 66102.