Rena Mae (Downing, Gubbe) Boedeker was born on May 9, 1927 in Britton, Michigan as the daughter of Irving and Hazel (Frost) Downing.

She married Elmer Gubbe and they had three children:

  1. Wayne Erwin Gubbe
  2. Lynn Irving Gubbe
  3. Irene Marie (Gubbe) Stockbridge

Elmer who was born in 1926 died at the age of 42 in 1968. Later, she married Ralph Boedeker.

On August 31, 2019, Rena died at the age of 92 and is buried at Ridgeway Cemetery in Ridgeway Township, Lenawee County, Michigan.