Stella P. Berlage, 99, of Galena, IL passed away Sunday, November 25, 2018, at Galena Stauss Senior Care Community. Funeral Mass will be 10:30 AM, Saturday, December 1, 2018, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Galena and where friends may call after 9 AM until the time of service. A parish rosary will be recited beginning at 9 AM. Burial will be in the church cemetery. She was born February 13, 1919, in Danbury, IA the daughter of John and Alosia (Somers) Fuchs. Her parents immigrated to the United States from Wallendorf, Austria on February 18, 1905. Stella graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic Grade School and attended High School in Danbury. She married Clement H. Berlage on February 14, 1939, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Galena and out of this union were born four children Dennis, Darlene, John, and Ronald. Clem preceded her in death on August 1, 1954. Stella then married Cletus Berlage on September 28, 1959, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Galena and he preceded her in death on April 15, 1976. Stella worked at Valves and Controls for eighteen years in Hanover, IL. She lived on the family farm until 1984 until retiring and moving into town. Stella loved her garden and flowers, many people marveled how neat her home looked and often commented on how they would see her cutting grass and sweeping the street in front of her house. In 1984, took her first airplane ride to Germany to the home of her great-niece Roxanne (Dale) White. Then traveled to Austria to see her parent’s home. But her greatest joy was the trip to Rome and the Vatican, where she was blessed by Pope John Paul II at his summer home in Castelgandolfo, Italy. Stella was a lifelong member of St. Mary’s Church and a member of the Altar and Rosary Society. As a member of the Rosary Makers Club, she handmade 1,167 rosaries for the missions. Those left to cherish her memories, Darlene Greibe of Galena, John (Marilyn) Berlage of East Dubuque, IL, two daughters in law, Diane Berlage of Dubuque and Donna Berlage of Galena, ten grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, one great great-grandchild, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands, two sons, Dennis and Ronald, three grandsons, David Berlage, David and Daniel Johnson, two sons-in-law, Thomas Johnson and Robert Greibe, four brothers, John, Leonard, George and Francis, two sisters, Louise Stodden and Martha Wetter, four sisters-in-law, Marie Smythe, Alma Bussan, Helen and Edna Folks, four brothers-in-law, Leo Stodden, Robert Wetter, Tom Smythe and Arthur Bussan, grandson-in-law, Mike O’Leary. The family wishes to extend a special thank you to the staff at Hospice of Dubuque for their care and kindness. The family request no flowers.