Obituaries

James Robert Trier (Jimbo), passed away on November 10, 2024, at the age of 89. Born on December 22, 1934, in New Holstein, WI, to George and Frances Trier. He spent his later years residing in Whitewater, WI.

Jim began his teaching career as a high school mathematics teacher and then dedicated 55 years of his life to education as a mathematics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He was the chairman of the faculty senate as well. He had a passion for math and an engaging teaching style, which made him a student favorite. He was known for telling a good joke and loved a good pun.

Jim enjoyed various hobbies including tennis, bowling, fishing, watching the UW Badger and Green Bay Packer football games, and of course his trips to casinos. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Phi Chi Epsilon Fraternity.

He is survived by his loving wife Marlene of 64 years, his children: Maria, Vincent (Melissa Gerber), and Mark (Stacie), and many nieces and nephews who will forever cherish his memory. Jim’s legacy of love, laughter, and learning will remain in the hearts of all who knew him. Jim is preceded in death by his parents and sister Kathryn.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 2:00 pm at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1225 W. Main St., Whitewater, WI. Burial will follow in the Calvary Cemetery. Friends may call at the church on Saturday from 1:00 pm until the time of the service.

Donations may be made to the Knights of Columbus or St. Patrick Church. Online condolences may be made at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

Editor’s note: Martin Martinelli’s obituary may be found here.

Juan Manuel “Manny” Rodriguez, 56, of Whitewater, WI, passed away on Oct 31, 2024. He was born in Fort Atkinson, WI, on November 14, 1967 to Ponciano and Blanca Rodriguez. He graduated from Whitewater High School and continued his education at Gateway, earning a degree in marketing. He had a love for helping people and worked in healthcare for over 30 years as a CNA. 

He enjoyed shooting darts with his lifelong friends: Robert Bramley, Brian Quass, and Todd Piper.  To know Manny, you knew he had a love for his Washington Redskins, now known as the Commanders.  He loved to play cards and watch horse races. He also cherished spending time with family.

Manny was preceded in death by his Father, his Mother, his brother Ponciano “Cookie,” and a nephew, Ponciano Jr “PJ”.

He is survived by his three sisters, Guadalupe (Jorge) Garcia-Chi-Dzul, Whitewater; Crecencia Rodriguez, Whitewater; and Blanca Garcia, Waukesha. And also a brother, Victor (Sandy) Rodriguez, many nieces, including Cassandra Rodriguez and Blanca A Garcia, both with whom he shared a special bond, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.

A service will be held at St. Patrick Church in Whitewater on November 14, 2024. Visitation will start at 11 am, with a Mass to follow at noon. There will be a private burial at Calvary Cemetery. Nitardy Funeral Home assisted the family with the final arrangement.

James Trier, Whitewater, passed away on Sunday, November 10, 2024 at Edgerton Hospital.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be on held on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 2:00 pm at St. Patrick Catholic Church, Whitewater.  Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Whitewater. Friends may call at the church on Saturday from 1:00 pm until the time of the service.  

A full obituary will follow.  Nitardy Funeral Home, Whitewater is assisting the family.

Joan Y. Rich, 94, of Whitewater, Wisconsin passed away on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 at Fairhaven.

Joan was born on July 2, 1930 in Richwood, West Virginia to James S. and Lavinia (Johnson) Young.  She was raised in Richwood and graduated from Richwood High School.  Joan later attended and graduated from Berea College in Berea, Kentucky.  On April 10, 1954 Joan married Stuart M. Rich and together they raised three children.  Stuart passed on April 17, 2000.  Joan worked as a desktop publisher for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture.

She enjoyed singing, reading, sewing, and painting.

Joan is survived by her children, Alice Rich (Curt) Schwarz, John Stuart (Julie) Rich, Walter Henry (Lisa) Rich; grandchildren, Emily J. (George Melissinos) Rich, Anna Schwarz (Ryan) Knocke, Allison Jacquelyn Rich, Alexander C. (Lindy Tsai) Schwarz, James Walter Rich; great-grandchildren, Cash Knocke and Peter Melissinos.

She is preceded in death by her husband Stuart and siblings James Shirley, Jr., Ruth Joy Peters, and Ione Rae Gunnarson.

A private family interment will take place at a later date.

Donations can be made in Joan’s name to Berea College at www.Berea.edu

The family would like to give special thanks to the nurses and staff at Fairhaven and Rainbow Hospice.

Nitardy Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.  Online condolences can be made at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

Marilyn May (Kvale) Smith, 92, of Whitewater passed away at home on Tuesday, October 30, 2024.

She was born on the family dairy farm in Hampden Township.  Marilyn was the daughter of the late Theodore and Viola (Fahrenkopf) Kvale.  She walked several miles to Nelson one room Schoolhouse grade school for eight years.  Marilyn attended Columbus High School and graduated in 1950.  Following graduation from high school, she attended Madison Vocational School in Madison.  She held jobs in Madison and Milwaukee.  While in Madison, Marilyn met William J. Smith of New Glarus.  They were united in marriage on November 14, 1953 at Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison.  After they were married, they made their home in New Glarus, where they started their family.  They lived in New Glarus until Bill took a job in Whitewater in 1962 and it was there the family became complete. Marilyn held many jobs one of which was working at Sears in Whitewater and later at Nasco in Fort Atkinson.  Marilyn’s most important job was that of mom, which gave her the most joy.

She had a kind and loving spirit and will be deeply missed.  Marilyn loved birds of the air and flowers in the garden.  Most of all she liked nature and long walks (hikes) through the prairie and her beloved marshland.  There wasn’t a tree mom didn’t love.

Marilyn was a long-time member of First English Lutheran church in Whitewater.  She grew much strength and comfort through her life long faith in the church and in Jesus Christ her savior.

Marilyn is survived by her children, Karla (Charles) Jacobson of Whitewater, Joan Smith Schenning of Whitewater, Nancy Smith of Whitewater, Brian Smith of Whitewater; daughter-in-law, Gail Smith of Fort Atkinson; grandchildren, Mindy (Dusty) Jones of Whitewater, Nathan (Carly) Jacobson of Janesville, Jessica (Nathan) Belz of Amery, Evan (Becca) Smith of Lakeville, MN, and Alex Hansen of Oshkosh; 9 great-grandchildren, many nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, William J. Smith; son, Richard William Smith; sister, JoAnn (Donald) Johnson; and brothers, Donald (Esther) Kvale, and Richard (Ruby) Kvale.

A funeral service will take place at 11AM on Monday, November 4, 2024 at First English Lutheran Church in Whitewater.  A visitation will take place from 9AM until the time of service.  Burial will follow immediately after services at Hillside Cemetery in Whitewater.

Nitardy Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.  Online condolences can be made at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

Margaret Hunter Paull
Feb. 14, 1955 – Oct. 26, 2024

Margaret H. Paull, 69, of Whitewater passed away Saturday afternoon, Oct. 26, 2024. Her husband Thomas of 47 years was at her side.

On February 14th of 1955, a young couple residing in Wharton, Texas welcomed their first born to the world, Margaret, their Valentine’s Day gift. Margaret’s family moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin in 1968 after her father accepted a teaching position at the college there. Margaret graduated from Whitewater High School in 1973, and she enrolled in the University of Wisconsin in Madison the following autumn where she developed her singing talent under the direction of Ilona Kombrink, her voice teacher. She went on to graduate in 1978 with a degree in Elementary Education.

Margaret is preceded in death by her parents, John R. Hunter and Louise McLane Hunter. She is survived by her husband, Thomas of Whitewater, WI, her two children Rebecca (David) Dorothy of Janesville, WI and David (Ashley) Paull of Portage, WI, and brother John M. Hunter of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Margaret is further survived by her nine grandchildren, David Dorothy, Jr., Abigail Dorothy, Andrew Dorothy, Katherine Dorothy, Caitlyn Paull, Joshua Paull, Elizabeth Dorothy, Matthew Dorothy and Emmalyn Dorothy.

During her time on the college campus in Madison, Margaret was quick to make friends at Christian faith groups such as Navigators and HIS Christian Singers. It was at one of these groups’ meetings where she met her husband, Thomas. They were later married on August 6th of 1977 in Fort Atkinson, WI. While living in Madison, the couple was blessed with their first child in 1978 and their second in 1984 while Thomas worked for the university there. Margaret, Tom, and their two children moved to Whitewater in the summer of 1988.

Long admired for her singing ability and her amazing soprano voice, she began teaching voice following the move to Whitewater. Finding teaching voice to be more ministry than vocation, she was rarely without a student for many years. Her dedication to teaching proper enunciation and technique found her traveling to Oshkosh weekly for some time, a venture many would consider to be crazy, but she was ever better for it, making several new friends along the way. After Margaret and Tom began attending church in Watertown, Margaret again used her teaching abilities twice weekly at Calvary Baptist Church on Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings.

A celebration of her life will be held at Calvary Baptist Church in Watertown on Saturday, November 2, 2024.

Visitation will be from 9:30 am to 11:30 am, and the Service will begin at 11:30 am. A Luncheon will be served following the service.

Memorial gifts have been designated to benefit the Anchor Bible Church music library fund in her honor.

Nancy Ungerer Duval, M.D. was born on October 9, 1948 to Glenn May Ungerer and Elizabeth Elsie Ungerer in Buffalo, New York.  She was raised in the Buffalo suburb of Amherst, and graduated from Amherst Central High School at age 16, having been advised to skip a grade in elementary school.  She attended Vassar College for two years before transferring to Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois where she obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree.  While she may have preferred to attend veterinary school, she attended the University of Illinois Medical School where she obtained her medical degree, and did a residency in Pediatrics at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. As she finished her residency, she decided to specialize in the emerging field of Emergency Medicine and took additional training in adult medicine and critical care, becoming board certified in both specialties.  She worked most of her career in Emergency Medicine at Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, Illinois and also was on the teaching faculty at Northwestern where she taught residents in the emergency room.   

Nancy was a trailblazer for women in the medical field.  After a lengthy screening process, she was chosen to winter over at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica in 1984-85, serving as the doctor, dentist, postmaster and guardian of the liquor supply.  In preparation, she received training in dentistry, as well as survival skills on the ice in New Zealand.  While at the South Pole, she became a member of the elite 200 Degree Club, an event that involves experiencing an immediate 200 degree drop transitioning from sauna to a total polar plunge. 

She and her late husband, Thomas Duval, lived actively in their Barrington Hills, Illinois community for years: enjoying horses, Cubs games, and the active life of the local hunt club.  They parented Newfoundland and Corgi dogs.  Tom and Nancy relocated to Whitewater, Wisconsin to be close to Tom’s family and their grandchildren and were actively involved in their lives for many years. In Whitewater,  Nancy worked at the U. of Wisconsin campus in the student health clinic. While living in Whitewater, they enjoyed boating, golf and bicycling. They also had a great group of friends at the Whitewater Golf Course and enjoyed going out for fish frys at 5 pm. Nancy always thought of Whitewater as a hidden gem.

Nancy and Tom retired to Sebastian, Florida.  Once again, they immersed themselves into the local community and became active participants in their homeowners association and developed long-lasting friendships with their new tribe there. 

Nancy was predeceased by her husband, Thomas Duval of 25 years, after a long and difficult struggle with his chronic illness.   Nancy took care of him until he passed.  She is survived by her brothers, Robert (Beverly) Ungerer, M.D. and Ronald (Stephanie) Ungerer, M.D.  She was aunt to Natasha, Rachel, Olivia, Mary Ungerer and Mark and Andrew Ungerer.  She was a great-aunt to 10 nieces and 7 nephews.  She was stepmother to Tom Jr. “Beau” DuVal (Julie) and Jerry Duval (Julie) and step-grandmother to Emma, Jimmy and Tommy, Clayton and Blaise.

Nancy passed away from cancer May 3, 2024, which she had dealt with for 3 years.  A Celebration of Life was held August 18, 2024 in Sebastian, Florida.  A sunrise gathering and memorial was held on the dock over the Indian River where Nancy and her close friends and their dogs had gathered at sunrise every morning for years.  Breakfast refreshments and a sharing of memories followed the sunrise gathering, with a dedication of an ornamental tree and engraved bench in Nancy’s honor from her friends and the homeowners association. A later Celebration of Life with Family is planned at Whitewater Lake in Whitewater, Wisconsin, where they both loved to enjoy the sunsets and boat rides with family and friends.

Gretchen Joan Cutshall (Gentling), 93, of Rochester passed away surrounded by her family at Saint Marys Hospital on October 21, 2024. Gretchen was born in Rochester, MN on July 17, 1931, to Harold and Nellie (Larson) Gentling. She attended and graduated from Lourdes High School in Rochester. She married David Cutshall of Rochester in 1951. They had eight children together and were divorced in 1976. 

Gretchen worked at Rochester School District at Central Middle School and Willow Creek Middle School as a cook for over 20 years before she retired in 1996. She then volunteered at The Ronald McDonald House in Rochester for 27 years where she still worked as a greeter. She also served at the Church of the Resurrection helping with funerals, events, counting, and being an amazing friend to everyone. In September of 2024, she was honored with the Bishop’s Medal in grateful acknowledgement for her dedicated, generous service to Resurrection Parish. 

Her 8 children, 18 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren were her pride and joy. The love for her family was unconditional and absolute. 

Gretchen loved life and had the most incredible smile and laugh. Her true passion was always taking care of others, often through her amazing cooking and baking. She enjoyed hardanger stitchery, loved playing cards, watching the Vikings and Twins, dancing, making snow angels, going on walks and adventures, being with family, and sitting down and talking to everyone she met while they became instant and life-long friends with her. 

She is survived by her children Daniel (Cheryl), Cathy (Bruce), Robert (Shirley), Thomas (Mary Ellen), Bradley (Susanne), William (Tawny), Gregory (Kathleen), her 18 grandchildren, and her 14 great-grandchildren and sisters Mary and Margaret. She was preceded in death by her daughter Pamela, her parents, brothers Richard, Armand, and John. 

A celebration of her life will be held at 12:00 p.m. Friday, November 8th, 2024, at the Church of the Resurrection. A visitation will be held two hours prior to the service on Friday at the church followed by a reception. 

The family would like to extend their appreciation for the care and support she received from the Mayo Clinic Hospital St Marys staff. 

Memorials are suggested to The Ronald McDonald House of Rochester. 

Online condolences are welcome at www.mackenfuneralhome.com