Celeste Eileen Luedtke

Celeste Eileen Luedtke was born on July 30, 1941 in Nevada, Iowa to Marion and Julia (Anderson) Phillips. She attended school in Nevada, Iowa until 1955 when her family moved to a farm in rural Fall Creek in the town Ludington in Wisconsin. Celeste graduated from Cadott High School in 1959. Celeste then attended Luther Hospital School of Nursing and graduated in 1962. She married Donald J. Luedtke on July 6, 1963 at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Ludington, WI.

She worked as a staff nurse at Luther Mayo Hospital for 36 years. On December 17, 1998, she retired from nursing. After a year of retirement, she started working at Marshall Fields (Daytons), where she worked for 4 years. She later worked for Younkers for a year.

She enjoyed spending time at their cabin at Lake Holcombe, traveling in their camper, visiting federal parks, and traveling to Taiwan. For several years, Celeste volunteered at Bethseda Resale Shop. She also enjoyed reading, walking, camping, quilting at church, canning vegetables from her garden, and talking to her grandchildren in Taiwan through Skype. She adored her dogs, Pepper and Sasha.

Celeste is survived by her husband of 63 years; Donald, sons Mark of Taiwan and David of Eau Claire; daughter-in-law, Katherine of Taiwan; grandchildren, Layla and Kuger of Taiwan; sister, Sally (Mike) Weggen of Fall Creek, Wisconsin; brother, Bob (Kim) Phillips of Rockport, Texas; sister, Lillian (Bud) Hadorn of Augusta, Wisconsin; sister-in-law, Barbara Beck of Lakeview, Minnesota; and many nieces, nephews and friends.

She is preceded in death by brother, Joseph Phillips; father, Marion Phillips; mother, Julia Philips; mother-in-law, Phyllis Jungerberg; and father-in-laws, Harry Luedtke and Hobart Jungerberg.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at Stokes, Prock and Mundt Funeral Chapel, 535 S. Hillcrest Parkway, Altoona. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until time of service. Interment will be in Lakeview Cemetery in Eau Claire.

Cremation Society of Wisconsin, Altoona is assisting the family. Online condolences may be shared at www.cremationsociety-wi.com.