Audrey Van Wambeke

Audrey Van Wambeke, age 80 of Cottage Grove, passed away unexpectedly on November 18, 2019.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 am, Friday, November 22, 2019 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 920 Holley Ave., St. Paul Park, with visitation one hour prior.  Private family interment will be at the Roselawn Cemetery in Roseville.  In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to The American Heart Association.

Audrey Marie Van Wambeke was born in St. Paul, Minnesota to Martin and Barbara (Unger) Tschida.  The family lived in the Rice Street area in St. Paul and Audrey graduated from St. Agnes High School in 1956.  She worked at Northwestern Bell for several years where she had earned the position of Assistant Engineer.  Audrey went to the State Fair on a blind date with Peter Van Wambeke and they were later united in marriage in February of 1973.  They built their home in Cottage Grove and Audrey continued to stay active with her children’s activities, going bowling, reading and volunteering at the local food shelf.

Audrey’s family was vitally important to her.  Over the years, she loved spending time with her siblings, including her twin sister Carol.  Becoming a grandma was a highlight of her life and she loved watching and nurturing them as they grew up.  She had a spunky, straight forward personality and wouldn’t let some of her health challenges keep her from being with her family.

She is survived by her husband Peter; beloved twins Todd (Dawn) and Tami (Justin) Costley; three adoring grandchildren, Raelyn, Cora and Mason; brother Jack Tschida; sister-in-law Karen (Galen) Pate as well as her loving nieces and nephews.  She is preceded in death by her parents; twin sister Carol Berger and sister Eileen McGuire and sister-in-law Jean Tschida.