The eldest of ten children, Emily was born into a first generation immigrant German family in Wisconsin and grew up on a dairy farm. After graduation from Merrill High School she began studies as a Lutheran Deaconess (Lutheran Sisterhood) and later worked as a nurses' aid in hospitals, including the Children’s Orthopedic Hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska, Wausau Memorial Hospital in Wausau, Wisconsin and General Rose Hospital (Now Rose Medical Center) in Denver, Colorado. It was while working at Wausau Memorial that she met her future husband Dean. The two were married in Palmyra, Missouri and came to Denver in 1955. They had a son, Robert, and eventually settled in Northglenn, Colorado. Emily was widowed after more than 51 years of marriage.
Emily is survived by a sister, Eva Ficke, two brothers, Daniel and Gene Gruetzmacher, a son, Robert, his wife Jamie, and two grandsons, Jason and Michael.
Emily was a faithful wife and both a loving mother and grand mother. She was loved and cherished and will be will be sorely missed.
