Theodora Julia Raufeisen

Theodora Julia Raufeisen
September 17, 1923 - January 11, 2009
Theodora Julia Raufeisen passed away in her home on 1/11/2009. She was the youngest of four children. Her mother Sophia Prior Lueke passed away in 1971 she was 82 years old. Adam(Bob) Lueke her oldest brother and his wife Faye from Woodville Ohio proceed her in death. Leonora (nonnie) Richardson her older sister and her husband Arden from Thousand Oaks California precede her in death. Julius (Judy) Lueke her youngest brother and his wife Marguerite from Thousand Oaks California, Uncle Judy proceeded her in death, Aunt Marguerite is still residing in California.

She is survived by her son Gordon Raufeisen, his wife Barbara, her son Gary Raufeisen, and her daughter Carol Manuel; Four grandchildren Gordon Raufeisen Jr., Bobbi Gehring, Tamera Raufeisen, her husband John Salamone, Faydra Gonzalez her husband Miguel Gonzalez; Eight great grandchildren Christopher Eaton, James Eaton, Mason Manuel, Stephanie Eaton, Tony Eaton, Heather Eaton, Jeremy Eaton and Soleil Salamone. Nieces, nephews, and great nieces & nephews, include Shirley Richardson her daughter Angie, Irene & Al Rodriguez their daughters Kim & Tracey, George Lueke and his daughter, Dorothy Sue, Tom & Marisa Lueke, Marilyn Burdge, Diane, and Sam Richardson.

Born & raised in Woodville Ohio, she was dubbed Dodi by her friends and family. Her mother Sophia raised four children by herself so she knew the value of hard work. The youngest of four children she often said that her brothers were not afraid to spoil her (as much as anyone from her generation could be spoiled) but they weren’t afraid to spank her either. When she was 23 years old she got sassy with her mother, and her brother Bob turned her over his knee and spanked her. Even at 85 years old she still remembered that spanking.

She graduated as the Valedictorian of her High School class in 1941.
In 1945 she graduated nursing school from St. Luke’s Hospital in Toledo Ohio.

Part of her nurses training took her to Chicago IL where she worked for a few years where she met and married James Temko in 1945 and they had two son’s. She & James parted ways, she took her two boys back home to her mother in Woodville, and she commuted to work in Toledo. She was working at National Supply in Toledo Ohio, as an Occupational Nurse where she met Bill Raufeisen and they were married on Feburary 14th 1953, in January of 1954 they had a daughter. They lived in Woodville Ohio, where they raised chickens, turkeys, and had a small truck garden. In 1959 the family loaded up and made a move to Houston Texas. In 1960 she started working at M.D. Anderson Hospital. She used to tell people that she was a nurse, when a nurse was a nurse, and did not just have to do paperwork. She retired after 23 years of service as a Radiotherapy technician helping cancer patients on a daily basis.

She loved to read, play card games, knit, crochet, sew, and do bead working. She learned to oil paint, and loved to collect new recipes.

She was deeply loved and will be deeply missed.