Denise J. Sternke (Hamer)

Denise (Hamer) Sternke was born July 29th 1959 in Hendricks, MN to Rudy and Pearl Hamer. She passed away peacefully January 20th, 2023 in her home in Lino Lakes.  Denise grew up in the small town of Hendricks with her only brother, Greg, and her parents. She spent her childhood days playing outside when it was warm and getting into trouble as much as she could. Her adventures took her all over the US and eventually brought her home to the Cities, where she married Ken Sternke in 1987. They were happily married for 34 years before Ken’s passing in June of 2022. During that time, she and Ken raised their two daughters, Chelsea and Justine.  In her spare time she enjoyed spending as much time as she could with her daughters and the newest addition to the family, granddaughter Kendall. Especially since the passing of her husband Ken, Denise focused on the importance of maintaining a close family unit. Denise thrived on adding her own splash of weirdness wherever she went; from stockpiling her fridge full of pumpkin spice creamer to feed her obsession well after the season was over, to having a close friendship with the Schwan’s man in order to get her latest intel on ice cream flavors. She also bled purple and gold. This led to a superstition, and she would leave the room when the Vikings were playing because she was convinced they did better when she wasn’t watching; although she would always yell from the other room for updates. She truly was one of a kind.  Though Denise was presented with several challenges throughout her lifetime, her number one priority always was her family, which helped her overcome the challenges that she faced. She is preceded in death by her father Rudy and her husband, Ken. She is survived by her mother, Pearl; brother, Greg; two children, Chelsea and Justine; and her granddaughter, Kendall.  She was a loving wife, mother, sister, grandmother, and friend. She will be forever missed and forever loved. Rest easy Denise. We all love you.  Funeral service at 3 PM Friday, January 27 with visitation to follow until 6 PM at Mueller-Bies Funeral Home, 7050 Lake Drive, Lino Lakes, MN 55014