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Visitation: Thursday & Friday 4PM-8PM
Services: 10:30 AM Saturday, August 18, 2018
Location: Trinity Lutheran Church (5701 S. May Avenue, OKC, OK 73119)

Memorial may be made to ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center,
or Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma

Urban, 98, died on August 12, 2018. The son of Henry Earle & Eunice (Darr) Jahnke, he was born on June 13, 1920, in Wrightstown, Wisconsin. His father was an award-winning butter maker and the family moved often between dairies in northern Wisconsin until settling in the Village of Preble, just outside and later incorporated into, his beloved Green Bay. He graduated from Green Bay East High where he ran track and cross country. He held East’s mile record from 1938 until 1976. After high school he attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He was a life-time W Club member. There he ran track and cross country, studied and worked at UW until joining the military after Pearl Harbor. He served his country in the US Army Air Corp.

While stationed in Tulsa, his mother traveled by train to visit ‘Urbie’. He took her shopping in downtown Tulsa. While shopping, Urban met a pretty sales girl in a red dress who sold him wrong sized gloves so he had to return to make an exchange. On April 15, 1944, he married the sales girl and his best friend, Flo Maria Foster. They spent 58 years together before her death in December 2002. Urban was her primary care giver for the last several years of her life and his example of love and devotion to her, especially during those years, was inspirational, but not surprising to those who knew him.

He worked at The Prudential for 28 years, then worked as a social worker for the Department of Human Services before retiring. He believed strongly in economic justice and worker’s rights. In the family home something was always being boycotted. The worst thing anyone could do is to forget where they came from. Urban was active in the Insurance Workers International Union and Oklahoma City Trades Council during his work at Prudential and was active in the Oklahoma Public Employees Association later. He rarely argued, but he always spoke up for what he believed.

A lifelong Lutheran, he most recently worshiped at Trinity Lutheran Church. Once asked by a curious son what to tell kids who asked what we believed in as Lutherans, he remarked that if you behave right, no one needs to ask. Faith was not complicated for him. It meant trying to please God by being good to others and being thankful for God’s grace when we fail.

Remembered for his sweetness, Urban was fondly known as ‘Pop’ by his family and friends. Pop loved gardening and yard work and loved to keep anyone nearby busy with whatever he was doing in the yard. Just ask any grandchild. Each has a story.

Pop loved to watch any sporting event. He was a true fan and always had a favorite he wanted to win any contest, though he admired individual athletic effort regardless of the team. He cheered for the teams he favored, never criticized his own team, seldom was critical of the other and he never booed. He loved most his Green Bay Packers. When Pop was a child he and his brothers might sneak in to Packer games and on occasion get in free by waiting for the teams to enter the stadium. If a player from either team put his hand on a child’s shoulder, the lucky ones walked in free with the team. Flo often reminded him the Packers were not a religion. He said it was close.

Pop was preceded in death by two infant sisters, his parents, brothers Norman, Ellis, Earle, and Richard; and his wife, Flo. He leaves behind his sister, Ethel Mae Macaux; his sons, Chris and his wife Connie, Karl and his wife Jeanette; 4 grandchildren: Jeff Jahnke, Jenny Dees and her husband David, Emma & Kara Jahnke; 3 great grandchildren: Sarah Jahnke and Jeffrey & Margo Dees and numerous nephews and nieces.

Urban lived the last nine years independently at Village on the Park. He loved the staff and other residents there staying busy to the end with bingo and other activities, especially if money or prizes were involved. Pop loved competition and was not above stretching the rules of a game if he could get away with it. We apologize if he took advantage; but not much. His family thanks the staff at VOP for their love, friendship and care for our Pop. His nurses and therapists at Hometown Health Care, especially Traci Workman, cared for the whole family and we send them our love and thanks.

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