Obituaries

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

Obituary: Gerald “Jerry” G. Nell, 78

Gerald “Jerry” G. Nell, 78, of Whitewater passed away peacefully on June 2, 2023. 

Jerry retired from the Milwaukee Police Department after 30 years of service.  He also served in the United States Army and retired from the United States Air Force while at the 128th Air Refueling Group Milwaukee.

He was the beloved husband of Janet (nee Rabiega) for 44 years; loving father to Jeffrey (Jolene) and Scott; and proud grandpa to Allyson, Caleb, Sam, and Andrew.  He is further survived by a brother, Conrad (Hildy); brothers-in-law, John (Carol) Zak, Tom (Sheila) Zak; sister-in-law, Barbara (Nicholas) Acevedo; as well as nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

Jerry is preceded in death by parents, Marcella and Walter Nell; brothers, Wally Jr. and Roger.

Visitation will be held on Monday, June 12, 2023 from 10 a.m. until noon at St. Jacobi Evangelical Lutheran Church, 8605 West Forest Home Ave., Greenfield, WI 53228, followed by the funeral service.  Burial will follow the funeral service at St. Adalbert Cemetery.

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

Obituary: Winifred June (Stacey) Parker, 92, of Edgerton

Edgerton, WI – Winifred June (Stacey) Parker, 92, left this world on December 31, 2022. She was born in Summit, WI on June 17, 1930, to Daniel and Myrtle Ann (Pett) Stacey. Winnie was orphaned at age 3 1/2, but she was given a loving home by her Aunt Jessie and Uncle Clifford Pett. She lived with them on a farm outside of Palmyra, WI and then moved to Whitewater in 1944. She attended Palmyra school from grades 1-8, then attended Whitewater High School where she graduated as an honor student in 1948. She then attended college at the Milwaukee Business Institute.

She married Douglas Howard Parker on January 20, 1950 at Summerfield Methodist Church, Milwaukee, WI. When Doug passed on October 5, 2018, they had been married 68 years. They lived in Petrifying Springs, Whitewater, Beloit and Edgerton in WI, Galena, IL, and Sun City, AZ.

Winnie worked at Community Welfare Council of Milwaukee County; Fort Atkinson Memorial Hospital as a switchboard operator, admissions, patient accounts and secretary to the personnel manager; First National Bank of Beloit as an Executive Secretary; and Blakely and Blakely Law Firm as a Legal Secretary. She was a member of BETA CHI RHO International Honorary Business Sorority, member #642; Order of the Rainbow Girls 1945-1950 and volunteered for United Blood as well as Del Webb Memorial Hospital, Sun City West, AZ for 13 years where she received a distinguished award for number of hours volunteered. She was proud to be a Blue Star Mom with son David’s military service.

Winnie was inspired to have a large family. She nurtured her seven sons and two daughters, giving them many opportunities to join organizations and attend events that would help them learn and explore their talents and be adventurous. She loved her family and loved being surrounded by them and always wanted to be a part of what was going on in their lives.

She was always up for adventures and trying something new. She enjoyed travel, camping, ceramics, bird watching and caning antique chairs. Winnie was a kind, caring, generous, thoughtful person who loved people, always making them feel welcome and important. She had a positive outlook on life and a great sense of humor that many can attest to sharing side splitting, belly ache and infectious laughs with her. She loved the beauty of all the seasons and what they held. She had a gift for expressing thanks and wrote wonderful notes of appreciation in her beautiful handwriting. She loved watching sporting events and followed the Packers, Badgers, Brewers, and Milwaukee Bucks. She was always up for a fun event or celebration. In everything, Winnie was always a lady!

She is survived by her children Michael Parker, Stephen (Jill) Parker, Bruce Parker, David Parker, Roger (Marie) Parker, James (Dorothy) Parker, Kristine (Michael) Presley, Cynthia (Henry) Dupuis, 15 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren and six nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents Daniel and Myrtle (Pett) Stacey, sister Hazel, husband Douglas Howard Parker, and son Jeffery William Parker.

An open house celebration of Winnie’s life will be held on Saturday, June 17th, 2023 from 12:30-5:30 p.m. at Cravath Lakefront Community Center, 341 S. Fremont St., Whitewater, WI 53190. A sharing of memories will be at 2:00.

Her ashes will be placed by her marker with her husband Doug and son Jeff in Hillside Cemetery, Palmyra, WI.

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

Updated 5/1/23 with change of time for the Celebration of Life.



Obituary: Steven Alan Meisner, 62

Steven Alan Meisner, 62, of Whitewater, WI passed away surrounded by his loving family on Thursday, June 1, 2023, at Meriter Hospital in Madison, WI following a brief illness.

Steve was born on April 17, 1961, in Beloit, WI to LaVerne and Judith (Kutz) Meisner. He married Barbara Lindl on May 19, 1985, at First English Lutheran Church in Whitewater.

Steve was a multi-talented musician, entertainer, composer, and arranger who traveled the country and world with his band. He first picked up a squeezebox at age five. After mastering the accordion, he took on the trumpet, tuba, bass guitar, button box, and occasionally drums and banjo. During his over 50-year career he performed with the nation’s top accordionists, polka icons and musicians, sometimes averaging over 250 performances annually. He has either produced, performed on or created nearly 50 projects, including LPs, CDs, singles, jingles, commercials, movies, and videos – including appearing as a guest on other artists’ recordings. He appeared in two movies, countless times on radio and on national, regional and local television. His tireless effort resulted in numerous awards from nearly every polka and ethnic organization including the International Polka Association (IPA), National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame, Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame, Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI), Iron World Polka Hall of Fame, Maryland Accordion Club, and many others.  

If he wasn’t entertaining audiences with his music, he was spending time with his wife, 3 children & 6 grandchildren, working on his many classic cars, enjoying life on Whitewater Lake, by the pool or on his boat, bird and squirrel watching from his favorite couch in his sunroom, or having a Korbel at his tiki bar with family and friends. His immense love for his family and friends was unmatched. He was always willing to help anyone out in time of need, give sound advice, answer any question or just listen and talk. Everyone knew that Steve was a true friend and would always be there for them. He was a surrogate father and brother to so many as well as a true one-of-a-kind friend to all. As such his care for all had lovingly been dubbed “MeisnerCare” by those close to him.

He is survived by his wife Barb Meisner, Whitewater; children Whitney Meisner, Whitewater, Lindsey Meisner (Nik Martin), Whitewater, Austin Meisner (Madison Holverson), Whitewater; siblings Daniel Meisner, Vashon, WA and Michelle (John) Bush, Milton. He is also survived by his grandchildren Evan, Jacob & Rosalia Copeland (Whitney Meisner) along with Sam, Eli & Jack Martin (Lindsey Meisner & Nik Martin). He was preceded in death by his parents.

A celebration of Steve’s life will be held at a later date to be determined and posted on his website www.stevemeisner.com. Online condolences may be made at www.nitardyfuneralhome.com