Pamela Brakhage

Pamela Sue Brakhage, 68, of Jacksonville, Florida, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died unexpectedly Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2014, in St. Charles, Missouri, where she was visiting her son and his family for Christmas.

She was born Sept. 23, 1946, in Lincoln, Nebraska, daughter of Raymond Otto and E. Lucile Brakhage.

Pamela received a bachelor of arts from Westmar College and master and Ph.D. degrees from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She also attended Universidad Jaime Balmes, Saltillo, Mexico.

She taught at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, before coming to Southeast Missouri State University, where she taught Spanish from 1986 to 1993. She published The Theology of La Lozana andaluza (Scripta Humanista) in 1986.

While at Southeast she directed five summer workshop trips to Mexico. She received the College of Liberal Arts Award for Outstanding Teaching in 1991. She also served as appointed local pastor at Illmo United Methodist Church in Scott City.

Pamela subsequently attended St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City and became an ordained elder of the United Methodist Church. She was pastor of the United Methodist Churches at Milan and Mound City, Missouri, and was a board member of the Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso, Texas, a bilingual United Methodist preparatory school for Hispanic students. She retired from the ministry in 2008.

She then served as associate professor of Spanish at Virginia Union University in Richmond. Her last move was to Jacksonville, a city she enjoyed very much. She was a part-time instructor of Spanish at Columbia College on the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville and taught a Bible study class at a local church.

Pamela is survived by her son, Raymond Luke, and his wife, Stacy; grandchildren Heinrich Maximillian, Klaus Otto and Sabine Katryn; and brothers Simon and Daniel.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Frederick.

A memorial service was held Jan. 3 at Calvary United Methodist Church in Lincoln.

Announcement courtesy of Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Memorial donations may be made to a local food pantry of choice.