Early life and education Menke was born on December 21, 1910, in
St. Paul, Iowa. He graduated from St. Ambrose in 1934, and was ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Davenport in St. Paul in 1938.
St. Ambrose College Menke returned to St. Ambrose and taught Latin, German, Greek, ancient history and astronomy on campus. He then became rector for East Hall (Rohlman Hall). While he studied for his
doctorate at the
University of Iowa he served as chaplain at
Mercy Hospital in
Iowa City. Menke served as president during a time when struggles were high for private colleges. The
Vietnam War was raging and there were protests against the war on campus.
Edward Rogalski, who would eventually serve as the college's president, remembers, "He did a lot to help defuse the emotions. We would meet with students at any time of day and night. He even led a protest march here in Davenport — and that was a time when emotions were running very high". In 1964, he was named a
Monsignor by
Pope Paul VI, upon the nomination of Bishop
Ralph Hayes. From 1970 to 1973, St. Ambrose and
Marycrest College planned for a merger. They even chose a new name for the school, Newman College, before the effort was discontinued and both schools went their own way. During his presidency, South Hall (Cosgrove Hall), Hayes Hall, and Galvin Fine Arts Center were all constructed.
Sacred Heart Cathedral After leaving the presidency Menke became the pastor and
rector of
Sacred Heart Cathedral. He served as a chairperson for one of the commissions during the diocesan
synod in 1974. Menke also chaired a board that was working on the consolidation of St. Luke's and Mercy Hospitals in Davenport. Like the merger of the two colleges, the hospital merger did not happen either. He was involved in establishing the
United Way of the Quad-Cities Area. El Centro Cultural Hispano, an organization that cared for the needs of the Spanish-speaking people of the
Quad City area, was established at Sacred Heart in 1975. Two years later Mass in Spanish was added to the cathedral schedule. Menke was instrumental in establishing a food pantry and a clothing center at the cathedral. He helped out at the
Catholic Worker House and the East Side Development Center. He was involved with other social service agencies and racial matters. He died on April 21, 2002, aged 91. Memorial Masses were held at Christ the King Chapel at St. Ambrose and Sacred Heart Cathedral. He donated his body to the Department of Anatomy at the University of Iowa, which was later buried in the Priests' Circle of
Mount Calvary Cemetery in Davenport.{{cite web ==Legacy==