Lorene M. Steimel, age 81, of Concordia, KS, left this earthly life on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at her home in Concordia, KS, surrounded by her family.
She was born August 10, 1944, in Belleville, Kansas, to Henry and Blanche (Oborny) Baxa. She married Robert L. Steimel on August 12, 2006. He preceded her in death on April 23, 2021.
Lorene graduated from Wayne Grade School and Agenda High School. She was in the first graduating class of Cloud County Community College and then went on to attend Marymount College in Salina, KS, and then the Graduate School of Banking in Madison, Wisconsin. Lorene spent most of her professional life working at Cloud County Bank, then Citizens National Bank, both in Concordia.
Outside of work, Lorene devoted her time to serving her community as a Cloud County Community College Trustee, Community Foundation for Cloud County Trustee, Frank Carlson Library Trustee and Notre Dame Scholarship Trustee, North Central Kansas Medical Center Volunteer, and a lifelong Rotarian, where she held various offices. Lorene was also a devoted Catholic and a member Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Concordia, where she taught religious education for 35 years and served in many roles within the church to serve her parish.
Lorene is survived by her children, Della Strait (Brent Gering) of Concordia and children Kirstin (Weston) Jantz, Zach Strait, Keidra Strait, Rylee Gering and great-grandson Parker Jantz; Pamela Wiederholt (Scott) of College Station, TX, and children Mason, Henry, Caleb and Simon; Deborah Steimel-Clair (Joe) of Manhattan, Kansas, and Chicago, Illinois, and children Dylan (Amber Urich), Fiona (Jerry O’Mahony), Liam (Cara Stevens), Noah and Niamh, and Charles Steimel (Sarah) of Ogden, Utah, and children Catherine and William.
Additional surviving family members are sisters Mary Ann Goodwin of Concordia and Dorothy (Charles) Oborny of Wahoo, Nebraska, sisters-in-law Carol Ahlvers of Shawnee Mission, Kansas, and Sharon Steimel (Steve Thomas) of Hays, Kansas, brother-in-law Lyle Steimel (Barbara) of Salina, Kansas, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents and in-laws Herman and Waneta Steimel, her brother Father Henry Baxa, brothers-in-law Robert Goodwin, Glenn Steimel and David Alhvers, and sister-in-law Rosalie Steimel.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, April 16, 2026, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Concordia, KS, with Fr. Joseph Kieffer officiating. Burial will follow in the St. Concordia Cemetery, Concordia, KS. Visitation will be from 1-8 p.m., Wednesday, April 15, 2026, with a rosary at 6:00 p.m., and the family will greet friends after the rosary, all at Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home, Concordia, KS. Per Lorene's request, the casket will remain closed. The family suggests memorials to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church or the Robert and Lorene Steimel Fund in care of Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home, PO Box 606, Concordia, KS 66901. For online condolences, please visit www.chaputbuoy.com.
