Obituary
Brandon Charles Lemke was a warmhearted, unabashed, affectionate son, brother, friend and soul mate. He left this world on February 2, 2023, surrounded by family and friends and beautiful music at the age of 42.
He was born to Timothy and Linda Lemke on November 3, 1980 after they had wished and prayed for a baby boy. From his first day on earth his sister, Heather, adored him and loved to help take care of him, and as soon as his baby brother, Tyler, was born, Brandon had a best buddy who looked up to him. Brandon's immediate family was very loving and close-knit. Brandon spent his childhood playing in the yard with his siblings and neighbor kids in the beautiful playhouse built by his dad, riding bikes or bigwheels, zooming hotwheels around the playroom, going boating, tubing, and skiing at Saylorville lake, making model cars with his dad, and having cub scout meetings with his mom who was the scout leader and always lovingly involved in the children's lives. Brandon was lucky to have a wonderful childhood and a loving family.
Brandon took pride in creating. He had a natural talent for cooking unbelievably delicious food and loved making it for friends and family. He held jobs, cooking, in the food industry, including the high-end "Maxwells" restaurant at Lake Okoboji where he was fortunate enough to cook for some famous guests including country music legend, Willie Nelson. Brandon taught himself to brew beer at home and was one of the founding members of the Iowa Brewers Guild. He also worked in flooring, remodeling and landscaping, and he was a talented gardener at home. Brandon grew hundreds of tomatoes every summer in the rich soil of their yard in Valley Junction and tried to never let one go to waste.
Brandon loved music. He especially loved going to the Briar Patch Amphitheater for full weekends of music. He became close friends with the owner of the land and venue, Bob Rice, and likely held the attendance record hanging out around campfires there since the 90s. He helped build the original stage and helped build the new stage in the summer of 2022. Brandon was in attendance every year helping barbecue, sharing his home-brewed beer and liquor, helping at the gate and helping with the haunted forest. It seemed to be his happy place and provided many great times and friends.
He also loved collecting beautiful, unusual or nostalgic things. His living space was a treasure trove of some of the strangest and most interesting items that were meaningful to him or caught his eye.
Brandon never had children but he loved them. He adored his friends' children and loved his nieces and nephews dearly. He liked making jokes with them, teasing, playing and tossing them into the air when they were little, and they loved him as well. Brandon was an extreme animal lover like his mother and was a loving caretaker of numerous beloved pets for his whole life starting with Mitzi, a terrier dog mix, and ending with Sophie the tortoiseshell cat.
Brandon never married but he didn't need to because he found the love of his life, Laura Haselden, and they fell in love at first sight thanks to a little luck and a mutual friend. Brandon and Laura rarely spent any time apart from that day forward. They spent their time enjoying the beautiful things in life, music being most prominent. Together they danced and sang their hearts out whenever they could. Laura loved and accepted Brandon just as he was; the independent, jokester, empathetic, funny, generous, loving, helpful, stubborn man he was, and more. Together their generosity knew no boundaries. They took care of two separate physically disadvantaged friends who didn't have anyone else to help them. They would often stop and help a stranded motorist or anyone in distress. Brandon would never pass up the opportunity to meet someone new and interesting, no matter how strange, and Laura indulged him. Laura really listened to Brandon, she knew he was brilliant and, even when he thought she wasn't paying attention, she was.
Brandon was predeceased by his grandfather, Harold Wittenbaugh, grandmother Marjorie Wittenbaugh, Grandmother Margaret Lemke, Uncle Larry Wittenbaugh, and cousin Aaron Wittenbaugh. He is survived by his soul mate Laura Haselden, Mother Linda Lemke, Father Timothy Lemke, Sister Heather Corigliano-Hewitt (Steve), Brother Tyler Lemke (Abby), Brother in law Joseph Corigliano, cousin Chelsea Wittenbaugh and his nieces and nephews Jonas Corigliano, Annabella Corigliano, Amelia Lemke, Cameron Lemke, and Alex Wittenbaugh and many other beloved family members and friends.
The family is planning a Celebration of life for Brandon and his father, Tim, in the family's back yard where they both loved spending time together. There will be live music and food to enjoy with everyone who loved them. The date is Sunday, May 21, 2:30 p.m.
Brandon's memory will be held dearly in hundreds of hearts keeping his spirit alive and well. Live life, love your people and your animals, enjoy music, eat tasty food.
"Like the morning sun you come,
And like the wind you go"
-Grateful Dead
He was born to Timothy and Linda Lemke on November 3, 1980 after they had wished and prayed for a baby boy. From his first day on earth his sister, Heather, adored him and loved to help take care of him, and as soon as his baby brother, Tyler, was born, Brandon had a best buddy who looked up to him. Brandon's immediate family was very loving and close-knit. Brandon spent his childhood playing in the yard with his siblings and neighbor kids in the beautiful playhouse built by his dad, riding bikes or bigwheels, zooming hotwheels around the playroom, going boating, tubing, and skiing at Saylorville lake, making model cars with his dad, and having cub scout meetings with his mom who was the scout leader and always lovingly involved in the children's lives. Brandon was lucky to have a wonderful childhood and a loving family.
Brandon took pride in creating. He had a natural talent for cooking unbelievably delicious food and loved making it for friends and family. He held jobs, cooking, in the food industry, including the high-end "Maxwells" restaurant at Lake Okoboji where he was fortunate enough to cook for some famous guests including country music legend, Willie Nelson. Brandon taught himself to brew beer at home and was one of the founding members of the Iowa Brewers Guild. He also worked in flooring, remodeling and landscaping, and he was a talented gardener at home. Brandon grew hundreds of tomatoes every summer in the rich soil of their yard in Valley Junction and tried to never let one go to waste.
Brandon loved music. He especially loved going to the Briar Patch Amphitheater for full weekends of music. He became close friends with the owner of the land and venue, Bob Rice, and likely held the attendance record hanging out around campfires there since the 90s. He helped build the original stage and helped build the new stage in the summer of 2022. Brandon was in attendance every year helping barbecue, sharing his home-brewed beer and liquor, helping at the gate and helping with the haunted forest. It seemed to be his happy place and provided many great times and friends.
He also loved collecting beautiful, unusual or nostalgic things. His living space was a treasure trove of some of the strangest and most interesting items that were meaningful to him or caught his eye.
Brandon never had children but he loved them. He adored his friends' children and loved his nieces and nephews dearly. He liked making jokes with them, teasing, playing and tossing them into the air when they were little, and they loved him as well. Brandon was an extreme animal lover like his mother and was a loving caretaker of numerous beloved pets for his whole life starting with Mitzi, a terrier dog mix, and ending with Sophie the tortoiseshell cat.
Brandon never married but he didn't need to because he found the love of his life, Laura Haselden, and they fell in love at first sight thanks to a little luck and a mutual friend. Brandon and Laura rarely spent any time apart from that day forward. They spent their time enjoying the beautiful things in life, music being most prominent. Together they danced and sang their hearts out whenever they could. Laura loved and accepted Brandon just as he was; the independent, jokester, empathetic, funny, generous, loving, helpful, stubborn man he was, and more. Together their generosity knew no boundaries. They took care of two separate physically disadvantaged friends who didn't have anyone else to help them. They would often stop and help a stranded motorist or anyone in distress. Brandon would never pass up the opportunity to meet someone new and interesting, no matter how strange, and Laura indulged him. Laura really listened to Brandon, she knew he was brilliant and, even when he thought she wasn't paying attention, she was.
Brandon was predeceased by his grandfather, Harold Wittenbaugh, grandmother Marjorie Wittenbaugh, Grandmother Margaret Lemke, Uncle Larry Wittenbaugh, and cousin Aaron Wittenbaugh. He is survived by his soul mate Laura Haselden, Mother Linda Lemke, Father Timothy Lemke, Sister Heather Corigliano-Hewitt (Steve), Brother Tyler Lemke (Abby), Brother in law Joseph Corigliano, cousin Chelsea Wittenbaugh and his nieces and nephews Jonas Corigliano, Annabella Corigliano, Amelia Lemke, Cameron Lemke, and Alex Wittenbaugh and many other beloved family members and friends.
The family is planning a Celebration of life for Brandon and his father, Tim, in the family's back yard where they both loved spending time together. There will be live music and food to enjoy with everyone who loved them. The date is Sunday, May 21, 2:30 p.m.
Brandon's memory will be held dearly in hundreds of hearts keeping his spirit alive and well. Live life, love your people and your animals, enjoy music, eat tasty food.
"Like the morning sun you come,
And like the wind you go"
-Grateful Dead
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