Genevieve "Gen" Adelheidt Ashenmacher, 85, of Rochester, died Dec. 25, surrounded by her loving family, at Madonna Meadows of Rochester. The cause of death was complications from Alzheimer's disease.

She was born May 20,1926 in Rubicon, WI, the daughter of Martin and Marie Scharpf. She attended school in Rubicon and in Hartford, WI.

She married George Ashenmacher on April 13,1946 in Hartford. The couple and their five children moved to Rochester in 1962.

Gen and George, with friends from IBM, were founding members of North Spot Lodge on Third Crow Wing Lake near Park Rapids, MN. They spent many happy days there with extended family and friends.

Gen enjoyed travel, flower gardening, music, fishing, home decoration and arts projects. She had a lively sense of fun and more than one friend described her as "a pistol". Gen embraced new friends throughout her life. She and George were grateful to live in England for two years and in San Jose, CA, for a year.

She took pride in running a happy home for her family. She especially loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchild. Over the years she opened her home to friends in need.

She worked as a seamstress at J.C. Penney in Rochester for many years and was a longtime member of St. John's Catholic Church in Rochester.

Gen was preceded in death by George, who died in 1998.

Survivors include her daughters Donna (Paul Minta) Ashenmacher of Waldport, OR, and Cheryl (Reynaldo) Saballa of Rochester; sons James (Jackie House) of Rochester, Thomas (Nancy) of Hudson, WI, and Robert (Pam) of Knife River, MN; eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild; a sister, Cecelia Heinke of Fort Atkinson, WI; nieces, nephews and many friends.

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 31, 2011 at the Madonna Meadows Chapel, with the Rev. James Russell officiating. Interment will follow at a later date in Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, where her ashes will be buried with George. Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the Madonna Meadows Chapel.

The family prefers donations to the Madonna Meadows Foundation or the Alzheimer's Association.

Online condolences are welcome at www.mackenfuneralhome.com