Marguerite Rita Bishop

Gertrude Alvina (Schmidt) Lehmkuhl was born in East St. Louis, St. Clair County, Illinois United States, and died in Lebanon, Warren County, OH. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Gertrude Alvina (Schmidt) Lehmkuhl.

Patricia Dorfmueller Patricia Lehmkuhl Ramos Dorfmueller, 88, born Jan. 1, 1928, in Granite City, Ill., passed peacefully at Otterbein Senior Home in Lebanon, Ohio Born to Alvina Gertrude and Wesley Dee Lehmkuhl, she was an artist at age six, mastering oil paintings and wood carving by the age of 12. She studied at St Louis School of Fine Arts, and in 1963 she studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art where she refined her many talents under John Paul Miller. She created over 500 greeting cards printed by Gibson Greeting Card Co., Sangamon Co., Charm Craft Co., and publishers in Europe. She was a professor at Gebhart Ohio Graphics, Southern Ohio College and Vogue Fashion College for Woman, where she taught History of Fashion. Patricia was one of the USA 75 silhouette artists. She learned the art from Henry Niles of Michigan. She cut thousands of portraits in over 18 states including Alaska. She offered her services to do portraits for schools and always did silhouettes complimentary for the children who could not afford them. She was a thoughtful kind person who always did things her way. She loved to dance, dancing often at her grandfather's tavern, Green Gables, in East St. Louis, Ill. She was also Miss Granite City in the 1940s! She told stories of shopping in East St. Louis, with her mother and hiding in doorways when the mobsters drove down the street. She met the tallest man (U.S.A.), Robert Pershing Wadlow, and sat on his lap as a little girl when he came to Granite City, Ill. (claiming he was her cousin.) She was adventuresome, moving all four of her children to Mexico in the 1960s to live a year seeing the countryside. She explored all religions and searched for answers that made sense to her. She lived life as full as she could as gracefully as she could. She saw the good in everyone. She was married 17 years, having her four children with Anton Dorfmueller Jr., who passed away in 2015. She raised her four children in the village of Greenhills, Ohio, from 1964 to 1983. Surviving are her four children, Daniel Philip and Deborah Dorfmueller, Mark Anton and Nancy Dorfmueller, David Dee and Rebecca Dorfmueller, and Marguerite "Rita" Marie Dorfmueller and William Bishop; grandchildren, Amanda and Chris Stricter, Joe Dorfmueller, Nick and Tiffani Dorfmueller, Josh and Michelle Dorfmueller, Amy and Chris Hummer, Hannah and Steve Beirens, David Dorfmueller, Suzanna Dorfmueller, Hunter and Tara Bishop, Teal and Vivian Bishop; 19 great-grandchildren; a brother, Richard (Audrey) Lehmkuhl, and his three children, Terri, Denni, and Todd; and her best and long time friend, Shirley Thompson of Granite City, Ill., who will dearly miss her. There will be a Bench dedicated to her in Metamora, Ind., where she had her own art studio and home for over 25 years. She will be dearly missed.

Wesley Lehmkuhl of Granite City, Madison County, Illinois was born on August 27, 1906, and died at age 69 years old in July 1976.