Robert Bethke
Robert Fredrick Bethke passed away peacefully on April 1, 2026, at the age of 82 at Essentia Health-Northern Pines in Aurora, Minnesota.
Born on May 14, 1943, to Victor and Irene (Deacon) Bethke, Robert was raised on a farm south of Augusta in the township of Bridge Creek. He attended Diamond Valley Country School and was a confirmed member of Grace Lutheran Church.
On October 31, 1960, he married Corrine Berlin of Foster, WI. Robert’s career with PolyTech Plastics took the couple from Eau Claire to Bloomington, MN. He later moved to Alvord, Texas, where he operated a ranch buying & raising Arabian horses. Robert was known for his lifelong passion for horses and Ford automobiles. He returned to Minnesota in his later years.
Robert is survived by his three children, Cheryl (Mark) Rosa, Sandra Bethke, and Daniel (Shelia) Bethke; seven grandchildren, Alex, Andrew, David, Dylan, Daniel, Dustin, and Sidney; and two great-grandchildren, Jackson and Annabelle. He is also survived by his siblings, Edna (Les) Connell, Arlene (Joe) Hulwi, Helen Bethke, Susan Ahmadi, Linda (Steve) Buchholz, and David Bethke, as well as sisters-in-law Carol Bethke and Jennifer Bethke, and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his ex-wife, Corrine; his parents, Victor and Irene; his brothers, James, William, and Victor; and nephew Jason.
