Lillian Hunke

Lillian I. (Forster) Hunke, 83, Bismarck, passed away April 23, 2023.

Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:00 AM, Friday, April 28, at Corpus Christi Church, 1919 N 2nd St, Bismarck.

Visitation will be held from 5:00-6:00 PM, Thursday, April 27, at Eastgate Funeral Service, 2302 E Divide Ave, Bismarck. A rosary/vigil service will begin at 6:00 PM.

Burial will be held at St. Mary's Cemetery, Bismarck.

Lillian was born on Oct. 28, 1939, to Nicholas and Johanna (Schantz) Forster. She was the tenth out of ten children. She was raised in Richardton, ND, and graduated from St. Mary’s High School. After graduation she moved to Glendive, MT, and went to work for Montana Dakota Utilities (MDU).

Lillian married Robert Hunke on Jan. 24, 1959, and together they moved to Williston. She continued to work for MDU there as well. They moved to McClusky in 1961 and Lillian began working for the ND State Soil Conservation Office until moving to Linton.  In Linton she returned to work for MDU. They remained there for about seven years until finally moving to Bismarck. Lillian retired from MDU in 2011.

Lillian’s expertise was to bake cookies and bars and was always willing to make her chocolate chip cookies at a moment’s notice. She loved to embroider, do crossword puzzles and word searches, and volunteer at the Burleigh County Senior Center. Lillian could be found on summer weekends with one of her sons at the lake where she enjoyed being part of gardening, card playing, or simply visiting and enjoying those around in her company. She enjoyed adventures to be with her son and family in Baltimore, and trips to Washington DC and Walt Disney World and cheering for the NDSU Bison Football team. Her home was where she wanted to be and enjoyed feeding the squirrels and rabbits in her yard. Above all, Lillian’s greatest joys came from her family and how proud she was of her sons.

Lillian is survived by her sons, Keith (Danita), Michael (LeAnn) and Jon (Sommer); brother, Charles Forster; grandchildren, Emily (Grant) Neuharth, Robert (Jera) Hunke and Kennedy (Chase) Ericson; great-grandson, Henry Neuharth; brothers-in-law, Roger Zimmerman and Al Beggar; and sister-in-law, Joan Metz. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Robert Hunke; brothers; James, Dennis, and Glen Forster; and sisters; Rose Hueske, Anita Kunda, Germaine Cole, Rita Gress, Joan Zimmerman, and Lucille Beggar.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Central Dakota Humane Society, 2104 37th St, Mandan, ND 58554.