Life Events

Obituary of Doris Schindel Zahn

Doris S. Zahn, 89, died peacefully at her home, Wednesday, November 11, 2020. She was born in Juneau, WI, on July 12, 1931 to Fred and Edith (Zemlo) Schindel. She attended St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Juneau, and later graduated from Horicon High School after the family moved to a small farm in Burnett. She learned the value of hard work, perseverance, and frugal living from her mother Edith.

Her dad Fred worked with Karl Zahn at the Dodge County highway department and thought he was a young man with too much promise to be a laborer. Doris married Karl on February 16, 1951. They supported each other through earning five degrees in education. Both started their careers in rural one-room schools and were devoted to children through teaching. Doris retired on June 1, 1990, from the Whitewater Public Schools after spending much of her career as a reading specialist at Washington Elementary. Even until recently, people would tell her of the impact she had on their lives as an educator. She joined Delta Kappa Gamma in 1968, and was a member for more than 50 years, serving as president from 1996 to 1998. She contributed much to the organization, which promotes professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education.

Doris had many creative talents, and during the summer months she could be found sewing school clothes for her daughters and continued by sewing Halloween costumes for her grandchildren. Her basement was a potpourri of flowers, seasonal containers, and bows. Each year she created centerpieces for the annual Delta Kappa Gamma holiday auction—searching out just the right trimmings. Even last year, she made her famous Christmas chocolate pizzas for friends and family.

She was a devoted Christian and active at University Lutheran Church in Whitewater. In the 1970s she volunteered many summers as a Girl Scout leader at Oakwood Knoll summer camp near East Troy.

Carrying on the spirit of Karl, she supported the UW-W community with her attendance at fine arts events, faculty emeriti luncheons and football, basketball, and baseball games. They were proudly inducted into the university’s Hall of Fame in 2006.

In March 2014, she drove Karl, who was undergoing cancer treatments, to Orlando, Florida, for the Warhawk baseball training games. They both loved getting to know the players and their families.

Her greatest memories included the many cruises she took with Karl all over the world. Recently, her family supported her love of travel with trips to Naples, Florida, and Gulf Shores, Alabama.

The family extends its deepest gratitude to the Falcon family, including her dear, dedicated driver and friend Sergio Falcon, a senior at UW-Whitewater.

We also thank her devoted caregiver Christina Aranda; neighbor Dave Haberman; Rev. Dale Blanchard at Triune Lutheran Church in Sharon; and many local friends who drove her to games, events and appointments. Phone calls meant the world to her. If you want to honor Doris, please call on someone who is confined to their home as she was.

She is survived by her daughters Laura (J. Peter) Zahn Pohl of Wheaton, IL, and Karla Zahn (Andrew Ketterhagen) of Oostburg, WI; grandchildren Nicholas (Justyna) Pohl (Naples, FL), Erica (fiancé Matt Eich) Pohl (Vernon Hills, IL) and Harper Westfall (Towson, MD); great-grandchildren Ella Rose and Emilia Grace Pohl (Naples, FL); and many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Dr. Karl Zahn, granddaughter Elli Zahn Westfall, brother LeRoy Schindel and sister Joyce Schindel Bartelt.

If she said thank you once, she said it a million times recently as she was so grateful for the blessings life had given her. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

Memorials can be made to the Karl and Doris Zahn Scholarship Fund at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Foundation or the Delta Kappa Gamma Sorority of UW- Whitewater at uww.edu/give

Burial services will be private, followed by a celebration of her life sometime next year.

Visit www.schneidermichaelis.com to leave condolence or light a candle in her memory. 

Doris Mae Schwebke, age 84, died Friday, November 13, 2020, at SSM St. Mary’s Janesville Hospital. She was born on July 1, 1936 in Ashtubula, Ohio, the daughter of Joseph and Della (Hinkle) Kincaid. She was the widow of Reginald Schwebke who preceded her in death in 2006.

She was a homemaker and stay at home mom as her children grew up. While they were attending school, she did volunteer work for the schools they attended. Doris resided in Wisconsin much of her life but following Reginald’s retirement, they lived in Florida for a time until returning to Wisconsin.

Doris is survived by four children, David Salem, Debbie Deegan, Cindy Salem, and Randy (Julie) Salem; grandchildren, Jeremy Deegan, Jason Deegan, Josh Salem, Danielle Ehlert, Nicole Salem (Jessie), Nathan Salem (Stephanie), Nicholas Salem (Beth), and Zachary Salem; great-grandchildren, Mason, Ashley, Deven, Kameron, Kolton, Liam, Alina, Landen, and Kaiden; brother, Ronald; and sister, Jean. In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by a son, Joey Salem; as well as three brothers, Richard, Edward, and Ray.

Private family services will be held at a later date with entombment in Milton Lawns Memorial Park. The family is being assisted by Henke-Clarson Funeral Home, Janesville.

“I will remember you all and will look on with a smile. Understand in your hearts that I have only gone to rest for a little while. As long as I have the love of each of you, I can live my life in the hearts of all of you.”

You may share a memory at www.henkeclarson.com

Helen S. Ramirez nee Panagiotopoulos, 36 of Whitewater, became our angel on November 10th, 2020. 

She is survived by her husband, Richard Ramirez; daughter, Addalynn Ramirez; mother and father, Alpha and Sam Panagiotopoulos; brother, Sammy Panagiotopoulos; her fur babies, Brendul and Brandy and many family and friends. 

Helen welcomed everyone she met with open arms and made you feel like family.  She always had a kind word to say and made you look at the world in a brighter light.  She was a loving wife, a strong supportive mother, she was the glue that held her family together, and a best friend to us all.  She did not say no, she just found a way to make it happen for you.  There are not enough words in any language to express how Helen truly made this world a better place just by knowing her.  Helen has touched each and every one of us.  We will forever carry a piece of her with us.  Her bright smile and giving nature will stay with us to guide us to be better.  

Visitation will take place on Thursday, November 19, 2020 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Dunlap Memorial Home, 604 S. Main Street, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Graveside services will follow at 1:45 p.m. at Hillside Cemetery, 410 S. Wisconsin Street, Whitewater, WI 53190.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to the family would be appreciated. You can also continue to support the family via her go fund me page (Love to Helen).

www.DunlapMemorialHome.com

Barbara Darlene (Goodson) Hoge of Whitewater, WI passed away at the Rainbow Hospice Inpatient Facility in Johnson Creek on Tuesday, Nov.10, 2020.

Barbara was born in Cabool, Missouri on Jan.19, 1947, the daughter of James Ace and Pearl Lorene (Durbin) Goodson. She enjoyed farming for many years and all her kitties. She married John Hoge on June 26, 1970 in Whitewater.

Her parents James Ace Goodson and Pearl Lorene Durbin were from Missouri and both are deceased. Barbara was also preceded in death by sisters, Mary Schneeberg and Kathleen Goodson, and a brother-in-law Wayne Hesse.

Barbara is survived by her sister Julia Hesse of Rome, WI, her brother James (Bonnie) Goodson of Oconomowoc, WI and her beloved husband John Hoge of Whitewater, WI and a half-sister Genny (Ron) Jaeger of Aurora, IL.

No formal services will be held.

The Nitardy Funeral Home, Whitewater, WI is assisting the family. Online condolences may be given to the family at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com.

Barbara J. Smiley, 77, of Fort Atkinson, passed away on Tuesday, November 10, 2020.

Barb was born on November 20, 1942, daughter of the late John and Ruth (McGuire) Smiley.

She worked for many years at Opportunities Inc. She enjoyed dogs and spending time with people.

Barb is survived by many nieces and nephews. She was also preceded in death by her sisters, Margaret Smith and Betty Smiley and her brother, John Smiley.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at the Dunlap Memorial Home in Fort Atkinson. Visitation will take place from 1 p.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home until time of service. Burial will follow at Hillside Cemetery in Whitewater.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Reflections Adult Daycare in Fort Atkinson.

www.DunlapMemorialHome.com

Mr. Al Brandenburg of Fort Atkinson died on November 10, 2020 after a brief illness.

Al was born in Eau Galle, WI on February 10, 1918, the son of William and Elsie (Buchholtz) Brandenburg. He attended the Mayville High School and later resided in Watertown, WI until his marriage to Elaine Wittmann on February 8, 1947 in Fort Atkinson.

He was employed as a paint line supervisor at Thomas Industries in Fort Atkinson for 22 years and Amron Corporation in Waukesha until his retirement in 1982.

Al loved hunting, fishing and sports in general. In fact, he was on stand for gun deer season at age 101. He never missed attending a sporting event where his children or grandchildren were involved. After his retirement he restored Ford Mustangs with his son and stayed active with his family. He began walking at age 90 and walked every day either at the hospital or on the local roads until he was over 100 years old. He and Elaine loved watching the grandchildren and helping wherever and whenever they could.

Al was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Fort Atkinson.

Al is survived by a son, Jeff (Maureen) Brandenburg; grandchildren, Jason (Raena) Debereiner, Brianne Brandenburg and Jared (Hayley) Brandenburg and great granddaughters, Autumn Dorr, Elaina Debereiner and Audrey Brandenburg. He had one great-great grandson Callum Gladney.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Elaine; daughter, Diane Debereiner; son, Donald and a grandson, Sean Debereiner, along with many other relatives and friends.

In his 102 years he lived through the Depression, Prohibition, several wars including two world wars, the moon landing, and many other events that some can only read about in books. He was always happy and thankful for the blessings that God gave to him and his family and appreciated all of the kindness people showed to him especially in his later years. He would often remark that he could not believe how nice people were to him and how God had blessed him. If you were one of those people…. thank you for the kindness you showed.

Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church in Fort Atkinson. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the church until time of service. Burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery.

The family appreciates the staff at Fairhaven and Rainbow Hospice for all their help and care these last several months. If inclined, in lieu of flowers or gifts to the family, please consider a donation to Rainbow Hospice or St. Paul’s Lutheran School.

The Dunlap Memorial Home in Fort Atkinson is assisting the family.

www.DunlapMemorialHome.com

William “Bill” F. Schulte, 82, of Whitewater passed away on November 11, 2020 at his home.

Bill was born on November 15, 1937 in Milwaukee to Vernon and Mary (Hanrahan) Schulte. He graduated from Waukesha Catholic Memorial High School. On February 13, 1960 Bill married Judith Neverman in Waukesha and together they had five children. Bill ran the Clark Station in Whitewater for many years and then worked for Weiler and Company as a machinist and later as a sales rep.

He enjoyed fishing, golfing, spending time with his grandkids and great-grandkids, and loved watching Wisconsin sports.

Bill was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, Jaycees, Cub Scout Pack Leader of 102, and was on Whitewater City Council for many years and also served as president. He was also a longtime member of the Whitewater Country Club.

Bill is survived by his children, Richard (Nancy Olson) Schulte of Janesville, John Schulte of Edgerton, Ann (Edward) Parker of Whitewater, Patrick (Tracy) Schulte of Janesville, James (Brynn) Schulte of Madison; grandchildren, Nate Schulte, Ben Schulte, Bryant Schulte, Anatoly Parker, Alexandra Parker, Lindsey (Paul) Taylor, Zachary (Trisha) Schulte, Anyssa (Carl) Cure, Olivia Schulte; 8 great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Eva (Richard) Johnson; many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by parents; wife, Judy; sister, Mary (Carl) Barner; and two infant grandchildren, Marcus and Jeremy.

The services are private to the family.

In Bill’s honor, donations can be made to Shriner’s Children Hospital, 2900 Rocky Point Dr., Tampa, FL 33607, and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Nitardy Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Online condolences can be made at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

In the early hours of Sunday morning November 8th, 2020 Marlene Violet Molisee passed away while sleeping in her Whitewater home due to complications of the cancer she had suffered with for more than the last few years.  She was born in Duluth, Minnesota on June 12th, 1947 to Peter and Violet Trader.

  In spite of her illness she had a natural strength and desire to survive that kept her fighting until the very last breath so that she could spend every single second available to her in the presence of those that she had loved so much in life.  She would often be brutally honest when you asked for her opinion but was always kind enough to listen to yours.  When she told you that she believed in you, you’d actually believe it.  Everyone she met would often remark on how amazing she truly was.

  She took great pride in once having been the manager of a string of Sheraton Hotels that would provide her with an endless supply of interesting stories from her travels across the world.  Later in life she would dedicate herself to raising her children and found passion in her hobbies.  Her love of crafts was shown through great talent and patience to create them.  Her love of animals displayed through her devotion to her horses, dogs and cats and even those in the wild that others might consider a nuisance, she would feed and love unconditionally.  Her faith was shown by the way she believed in others and supported their hopes and dreams.  She would later pursue her own as she wrote her first book “The Haunting of a Widow” and took great joy in her book signing events and storytelling sessions.  Her willingness to appreciate the absolute beauty of nature was like no others. 

  She is preceded in death by her loving husband, Donald  W. Molisee Sr.  Her parents, Violet and Peter Trader.  Her brothers and sisters Gerry, Ronnie, Barbara and Kathy.  She is survived by her children Donald Molisee Jr and Raven (Molisee) Berg, by her brother Peter Trader as well as the great many nieces and nephews whom she loved so very dearly.  She also survives in the thoughts and hearts of the friends who filled her life with fantastic memories. 

  There is also special thanks deserved to James Hoeffert and Diana Schroedl who were in her company in those final moments.  They have helped in so many ways to increase the quality of her life that she would without question wish for them to be acknowledged.

A Graveside Service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, November 13, 2020 at the Hillside Cemetery, Whitewater, WI.

The Nitardy Funeral Home, Whitewater, WI, is assisting the family, online condolences may be given to the family at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com.

William “Bill” L. Cushman, 96, passed away on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020 at Fairhaven in Whitewater.

Bill was born on June 23, 1924 to Cyrus Leland and Flora (Zuill) Cushman in Whitewater. His early school days happened about 200 yards up the road from his home in a one room schoolhouse. The stories of snapping turtles put in the teacher’s desk, pine cones on her seat, and lizards in the water bucket were just a few stories he loved to share. Of course he never admitted to being the instigator in any of those, but we knew he was. Bill graduated from Whitewater High School (City High-Class of 1941). He did not have to walk the 8.5 miles uphill both ways, but he did have to find creative ways to get to Whitewater. Stories of hitch hiking, walking, and one time even ice skating after an ice storm to school have been told, changed, and tweaked over the years. After graduating from Whitewater, he attended UW-Madison to study Chemical Engineering. One of things he was most proud of was making the prestigious UW­ Madison boxing team. When WWII began, he left college to run the family farm with his parents.

Bill was an extremely proud, 5th generation farmer. His homestead is the first framed house (1840’s) in Jefferson County and it was originally used as a half-way house between Janesville or Madison to Milwaukee. He regaled anyone who was interested with stories of what he thought might have happened up in that ballroom on the second floor.

He has been a member of the St. John’s #57 Masonic Lodge for the last 72 years and has served as the Worshipful Master twice. He was also a member of the Shriners since 1989. There are countless stories from his years as a Mason and fortunately for Bill, his brothers are sworn to secrecy.

Bill is survived by his son Lee (Shannon) Cushman, Whitewater, grandsons James (Milwaukee), Thomas (Whitewater), David (Whitewater) as well as his sister-in-law Dawn Weckler (Ft. Atkinson) and cousin Jean Rosewall (Oregon)

Preceding him in death are his wife, Joanne (Weckler) Cushman, parents Cyrus Leland and Flora, and infant brother Kenneth.

A Visitation will be held on Saturday, December 5, 2020 from10:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. at the Nitardy Funeral Home 550 N. Newcomb St. Whitewater, WI 53190. The family asks that masks be worn during the visitation to follow Covid guidelines. Burial with a Masonic Service will follow at the Cushman Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers or memorial donations, we all know how tight Bill was with his money, so we would prefer that you save it. If you must, buy a drink, raise a toast to a life well­ lived, and share a good story full of half-truths and embellishments just like Bill would have done.

The Nitardy Funeral Home, Whitewater, WI is assisting the family. Online condolences may be given to the family at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com

Marcelaine Jeanette “Marcey” Clark, 92, of McPherson, Kansas, passed away at 8:01 a.m., Wednesday, November 11th, 2020 while in the company of family members at McPherson Hospital .

Marcelaine was born in Dousman, Wisconsin on May 4, 1928, a daughter of Lucille A. (Zick) and Walter F. Miller.

Marcey attended Dousman Elementary School, Dousman, Wisconsin, and graduated from Hartland High School, Hartland, Wisconsin in 1946.  She then attended Whitewater Teachers College, Whitewater, Wisconsin.

She was a member of First United Methodist Church in McPherson and was a former member of the First United Methodist Church of Kenosha, WI

Marcey was a homemaker and she took great pride in providing for her family in this Manner.  She then became a Special Education Teacher having taught in Kenosha County, Wisconsin.

Marcey was a member of the Wisconsin Teachers Association.

Marcey enjoyed her job as a teacher, traveling, was a veracious reader, knitting clothes and sweaters, mittens, for her family, and spending time with her family and friends.

Marcelaine J. Miller was united in marriage to Merlin Ralph Clark on May 15, 1948 at Whitewater, Wisconsin. The young couple established their first home together in Whitewater. This union was blessed with the birth of five children born to this union, Constance, Sally, Martin, Gwen and Janis.   

She is survived by her children, Sally Thigpen and her husband John, of Franklinton, Louisiana, Martin Clark and his wife Rita, of Gilbert, Arizona, Gwen Gately and her husband Bill, of Windom, Kansas and Janis  Beliunas and her husband Harry, of Burlington, Wisconsin; her brother Edwin Miller and his wife Annette, of Hartland, Wisconsin.

She is also survived by 11 grandchildren – James Thigpen(Karen), David Thigpen, Michael Clark(Carry), Beth Ramsey(Joe), Cheryl Schroeder, Rachel Sain, Karen Jonas,(Jeremy), Wendy Allan, Scott Allan, Mitch Allan, and Philip Hawes and 15 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Merlin; brother LeRoy Miller; daughter Constance Vlasak.

Private family burial will be at a later date.

Memorials are to the Cedars and they can be sent to Glidden-Ediger Funeral Home, 222 W. Euclid, McPherson, Ks. 67460.