Life Events

Obituary: Donna M. Root, 79, of Fort Atkinson

Donna M. Root, 79, of Fort Atkinson passed away on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at Froedert Hospital in Milwaukee.

Donna was born on June 15, 1944, in Chicago, Illinois to Matthew and Shirley (Poliquin) Wehr. She worked as the officer manager at Yerges Transportation for 45+ years. She loved her job because of the interaction she was able to have with all the people coming in and her co-workers.

Donna enjoyed gardening. She took pride in her five flower beds and caring for them. She enjoyed listening to her stepson Wade’s many bands throughout the years. She enjoyed spending time with her family and all of her friends – she had too many to name. She loved taking pictures at all events she was a part of and documenting the fun everyone was having. She also loved to play slot machines and was lucky more often than not.

She is survived by her husband, Duane Root; child, Dan (Kelly) Olson, stepchildren, Tammy (Scott) Wiedenhoeft, Julie (Pete) Urdhal, Doug (Amy) Root and Wade (Lisa) Root. Also, by her grandchild, Matthew (Macie Brock) Olson, and many step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Donna is preceded in death by her father and mother, Matt and Shirley Wehr and many loving aunts and uncles.

A memorial service will take place at 3 p.m. on Wednesday June 28, 2023, at Nitardy Funeral Home in Fort Atkinson. A visitation will take place from 1 p.m. until the time of service. The family asks that guests dress casually and wear their favorite Packer gear as Donna was an avid Packer fan. There will be a celebration of life at a later date.

The family would like to give special thanks for the medical team at Froedert Hospital for their exceptional care for Donna.

Donations can be made in Donna’s name to Special Olympics or Rainbow Hospice as these were charities close to her heart.

Obituary: Douglas P. Chaulk, 75

Douglas P. Chaulk, age 75, died unexpectedly Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at the Sanford Canton-Inwood ER.  Memorial services are pending. 

          Doug was born on August 9, 1947 in Milwaukee, WI to Donald and Delores (Raison) Chaulk.  After graduating high school, he attended college for a short time before enlisting in the US Army.  After 6 years of service and two tours in Vietnam, he returned to Wisconsin and earned a degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin- Milton.  He married Kathleen Pache. The couple was blessed with a son, Devon.   

          Doug worked in law enforcement his entire career.  He spent 30 years, 28 as a sergeant, for the City of Whitewater, WI.  After his retirement in 2002, he moved to Canton, SD where he worked 14 years as a bailiff and in the 24/7 program for the Lincoln County Sherriff’s Office. 

When not working, he enjoyed spending time with his family and his horses.  He was also a lifetime member of the VFW and a Green Bay Packer’s stock holder.  

          Doug is survived by his son, Devon (Jenna) Chaulk and grandson, Kayden Chaulk.  He was preceded in death by his parents.  www.andersonandsonsfh.com

Obituary: Ardella Leola Shepherd, 91

Ardella Leola Shepherd, 91, of Whitewater, WI passed away on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at Cedar Crest in Janesville.

Ardella was born on October 12, 1931 in Gotham, WI, the daughter of Leonard and Violet (Sherman) Wilson. She married Beauford Shepherd on June 2, 1962.

She enjoyed spending time with her family, reading books and going to casinos.

She is survived by her eleven children Bonnie (Bob) Magee of Pound, Pat Snorek(Larry) of West Allis, Fred (Kim) Snorek of Oostburg, Doug (Deb) Snorek of Florence, AZ, Rory (Jean) Shepherd of Whitewater, Michael (Terri) Shepherd of Milton, Sandra Gaffner of Milton, Betty Jo (Dan) Mattrisch of Fort Atkinson, Bobbi Jo (Trent) Dahlke of Waterloo, Billie Jo (Darin) Olp of Whitewater, Wanda (Jennifer) Shepherd of Whitewater, 19 Grandchildren, 32 Great-grandchildren & 2 Great-great-grandchildren, brother Darrell (Linda) Wilson. 

She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Beauford Shepherd, son Jerry Snorek, son-in-law Kevin Gaffner, two sisters, Evelyn Johnson, Eleanor Wilmot, three brothers, Leonard Wilson Jr., Gordon Wilson and Clayton Wilson Sr.

A memorial visitation will take place from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. on Saturday, June 24, 2023 at Nitardy Funeral Home in Whitewater.

The family would like to give special thanks to Mercy Hospice staff and Cedar Crest staff for their exceptional care for Ardella.

Obituary: Marvel M. Rowley, 91, of Fort Atkinson

Marvel M. Rowley, 91, of Fort Atkinson, died on June 19, 2023, at the Rainbow Hospice Inpatient Center in Johnson Creek.

Marvel was born on July 8, 1931, in Rhinelander, WI, the daughter of Elmer and Hazel (Cole) Miles. She graduated from Rhinelander High School in 1949 and then went to nursing school at St. Charles Hospital School of Nursing in Aurora, Illinois, graduating September 6, 1952. She was a nurse in Chicago prior to her marriage. On February 10, 1962, she married Richard (Dick) Rowley in Whitewater, WI and they raised their three children: Ric, Sue, and Carol on Dick’s family farm in Lima Township. In 1977 they moved to Fort Atkinson and Marvel returned to working as an RN at Fort Atkinson Memorial Hospital until she retired in 1995.

Dick and Marvel were founding members of the Community of Christ the Servant Church in Whitewater, WI.  The first service was held by the pond on their farm.  

After Dick’s death in 1999, Marvel traveled the world with her dear friend Polly Schull. The only continent that they did not visit was Antarctica. She surprised her family when she gave tandem skydiving a “whirl” while in her seventies. 

Her greatest joy in life was spending time with her five grandchildren and, recently, her great-granddaughter Dorothy Marvel.  She made each one a special quilt and even created quilts for their future children.  

She rarely missed a school concert or sporting event. She also volunteered at the Jefferson County Humane Society and Dwight Foster Library in Fort Atkinson. 

Marvel is survived by her children, Ric (Kelli) Rowley and Sue (Mark) Johnson. Five grandchildren Jillian (Zack Pick) Rowley, Ian (Caroline) Rowley, Devon Rowley, Alex (fiancé Erika Spence) Johnson, and Faith Johnson; and great-granddaughter Dorothy Marvel Rowley-Pick. 

She is further survived by her dear nephews Ken (Pam) Simes and Keith (Karalyn) Simes, along with their families. She will be missed by her dear friends and neighbors Becky and Dwayne Johnson and Kathi and Carl Baio.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Dick Rowley, daughter Carol Jean Rowley, sisters Elva Marie Miles and Mardella (Dale) Simes, and her beloved dog Tasha.

A celebration of Marvel’s life will be held on her birthday, Saturday, July 8th, 2023, from 11 a,m, to 2 p.m. at the Fort Atkinson Club, 211 S Water St E, Fort Atkinson, WI. There will be a Final Call to Duty Tribute by the Wisconsin Nurses Honor Guard at 1 p.m. followed by remarks from Pastor Mike Obinger of Community of Christ the Servant Church.

In lieu of flowers, Marvel’s family has requested that memorials be directed to the Jefferson County Humane Society or Rainbow Hospice.

The family would like to thank the staff at Milton Senior Living and Rainbow Hospice for the kind and compassionate care given to Marvel in her final months of life. Online condolences may be made at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

Obituary: Margaret “Maggie” C. Gonzalez, 53, of Janesville

Margaret “Maggie” C. Gonzalez, 53, of Janesville passed away Friday, June 16, 2023 at Mercy Hospital.

Maggie was born on September 10, 1969 in Fort Atkinson, daughter of the late Antonio and Margaret (Bienfang) Gonzalez.

Maggie is survived by her son, Daniel of Janesville; ex husband, Mike Moreland of Fort Atkinson; aunt, Mary Rodriguez of Whitewater and many cousins. She was also preceded in death by her brother, Michael Gonzalez.

A celebration of Maggie’s life will be held at a later date.

Dunlap Memorial Home in Fort Atkinson is assisting the family.

Obituary: Laurence Wilfred Delaney, 87

Laurence Wilfred Delaney, 87, of Whitewater, WI passed away on Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at Rainbow Hospice Inpatient Center in Johnson Creek.

Larry was born on March 22, 1936 in Elkhorn, WI the son of John W. “Doc” and Mary T. (Kearney) Delaney. He graduated from Delavan High School and attended the University of Wisconsin and Texas A&M University. 

Proudly serving two terms in the U.S. Army from August 19, 1955 to August 16, 1957 and then reactivated during the Berlin Crisis from October 9, 1961 until August 10, 1962. Larry’s service was under the 32nd Red Arrow Division which is the largest unit in the Wisconsin Army National Guard. 

On April 8, 1978, Larry married Helen Ruth Hamby in Rockton, IL. They have shared 46 years of marriage together creating many wonderful memories.

Larry retired as Senior Design Supervisor in the Electrical Engineering Department of Fluor Daniel Engineering in Greenville, SC.

He was a member of the American Radio League with Ham Radio license and the call sign of K9PSV. 

Larry is survived by his wife, Helen Delaney, Whitewater, WI; son, Bob (Mary) Delaney, Westerville, OH; daughter, Sandy Delaney, Greenfield, WI; daughter, Barbara (John) Bigler, Lake Geneva, WI; son, Steve Delaney (James Oranga) Addison, IL; stepson, Stan Smith, Rio, WI; stepson, Steve Smith, Sun Prairie, WI and stepdaughter, Deborah (Gordy) Blumenberg, Lake Mills, WI. He is also survived by his sister, Sue (Wayne) Tinder, Loudon, TN and 6 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

Laurence was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Dorothy Gauger, Chula Vista, CA, and brother, Tom (Nancy) Delaney, Delavan, WI. Also, preceding Larry in death were a stepson, Larry Smith of Rio, WI; stepson, Duane Smith of Whitewater, WI and step great-granddaughter, Lydia Blumenberg of Helenville, WI.

Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at Dunlap Memorial Home, Fort Atkinson, WI. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the memorial home until time of service. Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery, Fort Atkinson, WI.

www.DunlapMemorialHome.com

Obituary: Scott Alan Batten, 58

Scott Alan Batten
(November 6, 1964 – June 6, 2023)
Scott A. Batten, 58, of Waterford, Wisconsin, went home to be with his Lord on June 6th, 2023, surrounded by his loving family.

He was born to parents James and Janice (Erickson) Batten, on November 6th, 1964, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His family moved to Whitewater, Wisconsin in 1978 when Scott was 13 years old. Scott graduated from Whitewater High School and continued his education at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater becoming a computer programmer. Scott was employed at Aurora St. Lukes, then later employed at US Bank for the past 25 years.

He married Anita Biesterveld in 1990. Scott became the stepfather to Anita’s daughter, Jennifer Walenton. Scott and Anita had one daughter (Kylee) in 2001. They divorced in 2018. Scott enjoyed traveling with his family. His favorite locations were Hawaii, Aruba & Israel. While in Israel, Scott planted a tree in his late father’s memory.  Scott’s interests included building and flying model airplanes, woodworking and building Lego sets.

Scott stated he would like to be remembered as “A Christian man who loved his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and who tried his best.”

Scott is survived by his daughters, Jennifer (Quinn) Walenton of East Troy, Wisconsin, Kylee Batten of Waterford, Wisconsin; granddaughters, Angelita and Kiana Walenton; mother, Janice (Erickson) Batten; two sisters, Jaime (Greg) Goelz, Wendy Batten;  three aunts, Judith Erickson, Jeanne Peterson, Janice Murphy; three nieces, Samantha Biesterveld, Ainsley and Ashlyn Goelz; and two nephews. Maxford Biesterveld, Kyan Goelz; and a great-nephew Koeden Biesterveld.

Scott was preceded in death by his father James Batten; Grandparents, Einer and Doris (Carlson) Erickson, Harold and Ruth (Anderson) Batten. 

Nitardy Funeral Home in Whitewater assisted the family with arrangements.

Service to be held at
First English Lutheran Church
401 W. Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190
Tuesday June 20th, 2023
Visitation 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Service 12 p.m.

Interment Service to follow at
Hillside Cemetery
400 S. Wisconsin Street, Whitewater, WI 53190

Luncheon will be served following interment service.

In lieu of flowers the family would like donations to go to 88Charlies to keep the love of planes alive in the youth, teach restoring vintage aircrafts, teach flying, and valuable life lessons.

Donate Here: https://www.88charlies.com/take-action

Celebration of Life: Dan A. Newton

A Celebration of Life event will be held 1:00 p.m. Sunday, July 9, 2023, for Dan A. Newton at The Gathering Place, 715 Campus St., Milton, Wisconsin. Dan passed away in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, March 7, leaving a husband, Ron Bates, a sister, Sue Madere, nephews and cousins. Dan was a graduate of Whitewater High School, University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, and a long-serving social worker for Rock County, Wisconsin.

Editor’s note: The previously published obituary may be found here.

Obituary: Joanne M. Weber, 77

Joanne M. Weber, 77, of Whitewater passed away on Thursday, June 8, 2023 at Mercy Hospital in Janesville after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

She was born in Palmyra to Vincent and Audrey (Condon) Peplinski.  Joanne attended Whitewater High School and after school met the love of her life, Ken Weber.  On June 6, 1964 Ken and Joanne married at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Whitewater, and together they raised two children.  They just celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. For many years, Joanne worked at Lincoln school and St. Joseph school serving lunches, and recently served the continental breakfast at the Fairfield Inn in Whitewater.  She also owned and operated Little Einstein’s preschool for ten years. Working with children brought her joy.

Joanne loved her two greyhound dogs, Sandy and Sage, and enjoyed taking them on walks twice a day.   She also loved gardening, making dinner for her family, and especially spending time with her family.  Joanne enjoyed decorating the house, especially for holidays, and enjoyed her neighbors in the subdivision.  Her house was beautifully decked out for each holiday for all her neighbors to enjoy. Ken and Joanne went on adventures in their motor home to New York, the Soo Locks in Michigan, and around northern Wisconsin. The family also enjoyed fishing the streams in Whitewater.

She was a faithful member at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Whitewater.

Joanne is survived by her husband, Ken Weber; children, Timothy Weber, Angela (Rick) Reed; grandson, Anthony Reed; brother Daniel Peplinski; and nieces, nephews, including Tammy and Scott Wiedenhoeft, who Joanne looked at as her own children.

She is preceded in death by her son, Terry; parents, Vincent and Audrey Peplinski; and sister, Judy Beck.

A memorial service will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 17, 2023 at St. Patrick Catholic Church.  Visitation will take place from 10 a.m. until the time of service.  A Celebration of Life will follow at The Fairfield Inn in Whitewater at 12:30 p.m. 

Any donations should please be made to help fund pancreatic cancer research or to St. Patrick Catholic Church in Whitewater.

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