Stephanie Heiwig Godke, dead, no longer amongst the living. She went to be with Jesus and her departed loved ones just days ago. How she died is not nearly as important as how she LIVED. Let’s just say she battled with gravity her entire life and it finally won. But she had been ready to go to see Jesus for years.

Stephanie is deeply mourned by her family and extended family that are just coming to grips with the cost of her funeral plans and this long obituary. She loved her lifelong friend and husband James Godke with a depth that surpasses understanding as he could be very difficult. They did the best they could raising Christian, intelligent, strong children, Jeffrey James Godke and Sarah Grace Godke Huber. Much to her relief her children graduated from universities, found employment and married their great loves. She adored her children’s spouses Cathy Godke and John Huber and her precious grandchildren Fiona Godke, Sebastian Huber, Joshua Godke, Olivia Huber and Nolan Huber.

Stephanie collected “people with character” as friends/family and what a cast of characters they are. To list them here would take all day...but you know who you are.

Stephanie graduated from William Woods University with a degree in Art History/Design and later earned an income as a Chef and Culinary Instructor. Let that be a lesson for you crazy kids who would be art majors. She earned two prestigious silver bowls for involvement in student government in college which she continued to use for chips and salsa her whole life. She cooked on the NBC affiliate KWQC for 24 years. Working as the Spirited Chef at Mississippi River Distilling Company was such fun, allowing her to create recipes for over 15 years. Stephanie was a devoted Christian member of Heritage Church in Rock Island, a Republican with Libertarian leanings, a Member of The Union League Club of Chicago and a P.E.O. Stephanie adored her brother and sister in laws, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and would arrange elaborate schemes to get them together socially for “adult Easter Egg Hunts” and other meetups with shenanigans.

Her family will now have to muddle through without her courageous leadership and social skills...she would suggest a drawing of names for the position she once held.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, January 24 at Rux Funeral Home in Kewanee with Pastor Bryan Savage officiating. The visitation will be held from 5:00-7:00 p.m., Friday, January 23 at the funeral home. Private inurnment will be held at Galva Cemetery. A Celebration of her Life will also be held at a later date. Memorials may be directed to the Heritage Church in Rock Island Kitchen Project.