Heart of the Valley Cremation Services Obituaries

Obituary Preview: Stephen Jay Cox, 81, of Appleton, WI and Dunedin, FL, passed away on March 17, 2022 after a long illness.Born on October 6, 1940, Steve was the youngest of 4 children. He attended Broad Ripple High School in Indianapolis, where he was on the football team, played the trumpet, and was an Indiana State Wrestling Champion. Steve liked to tell stories about his wild youth, and about how it led him to follow his dad’s suggestion to join the US Army after high school. After being honorably discharged from the Army, Steve received a football scholarship to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL, where he graduated with a degree in Business Administration. While in college, Steve met and married the love of his life, Grace Provenzano. Steve enjoyed a long career in sales, working for Eli Lilly, Dow Diagnostics, and Dow AgroSciences; interacting with people from a variety of backgrounds was his favorite part of the job, and he also won many sales awards. After retirement, Steve worked as a substitute teacher in the Appleton area, until he and Grace began spending winters in Florida. Steve was an active member of AA for over 35 years and made many friends through his involvement in volunteer activities connected with recovery. Steve and Grace were married for 60 years and had 3 children, 10 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. Steve was known for his love of dogs, watches, turtles of all kinds and, mostly, for his love of family. Steve enjoyed nothing more than to be surrounded by close family members, and to have family and friends from out of town come to visit. He was a nurturer, always there to care for family when they were ill, he was generous to his dogs, and he always made sure there was food in the bird feeders. Steve kept up a daily routine but was always willing to break it for an interesting diversion! His family knew him as an open-minded, open-hearted man with a good sense of humor, and a great dad laugh! He was as comfortable spending time alone in quiet thought, watching the birds, as he was engaging in vibrant conversation about almost any topic. A man like this, a kind man, who loves well and is well-loved, is a blessing on the earth whose spirit lives on in those who knew and loved him. We will miss you, Stephen Jay Cox…one day at a time.Steve is preceded in death by his parents, Roland and Charlotte Cox, and Gertrude Cox, his brother Jimmy, his brother David, and his granddaughter Casey.Steve is survived by: His wife Grace; his children Julie (Lori), Don (Trudy), and Joe; his sister Susan Wolfe; his grandchildren Greg Stockwell (Amanda), Andrew Stockwell, Maggie Filipiak (Caleb), Emma Cox (Christian), Charlie Cox, Sam Cox, Ellie Cox, Megan Evans, Ashley Evans; his great-grandchildren Lennon, Tommy, and Jackson; beloved relatives and friends Anita Povich, Mark and Sally Rajcevich, Dave and Tracy Stockwell, Jenny Cox, Vicki Hodgkiss, Cathy Perryman, and many other nieces and nephews. Memorials in Steve’s name may be given to Colonel Potter Cairn Rescue Network https://www.cairnrescue.com/donate/Burial services at St Joseph’s Cemetery in Appleton, at a date and time yet to be determined.

Obituary Preview: Scot (Grizzly) Wichman went on an eternal fishing trip on March 11. Scot passed away at age 64 at Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh. He was born July 19, 1958 in Appleton. He was a member of Neenah High School's class of 1977.Scot is survived by his mother, Beverly Wichman of Appleton; his children and grandchildren, Kelly Keenlance of Stevens Point (children Nakia, DAngelo, AShaun), Jamie (Matt) Philbrook of Oshkosh (children Cassidy, Cooper), and Jason Wichman of Ripon; siblings and nieces and nephews, Kathy (Dave) DeWilde of Kaukauna (children Brad, Ryan, Matthew, Michael), Cindy Meyers of Appleton (children Nicole Hamilton, Judson), TerriBeth (Kevin) Wood of Neenah (children Carli, Wilson), David Wichman of Larsen (children Heather Voss, Tom), Nancy (Bob) Hans of Manitowoc (children Cassandra Krueger, Evan), and Dan (Michelle) Wichman of Neenah (children Zach, Dylan, Josh, Tyler).Scot was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents Henry and LaNiece Wichman, maternal grandparents Gus and Eva Bodway, his father Evan (Bud) Wichman, a brother-in-law Judd Meyers, his nephew Carl Meyers, and his beloved dog Coco.To say Scot loved to fish would be an understatement. He could be found throwing a line in from his boat at every opportunity. Whether alone or with company, if Scot could be fishing, Scot was fishing! Scot was also very proud of his extensive volunteer work, especially on the Red Kettle drives with the Salvation Army. He enjoyed woodworking, building everything from picture frames to picnic tables and porch swings - and he was good at it! Scot was the guy who would call you every holiday - and many random days in between - to let you know he loved you and was thinking of you. Those calls will be sorely missed by many. He was a very giving person, and in the end Scot was able to give several final gifts in the form of organ donation to save or improve the life of perfect strangers. Scot would be so honored to know he could help others in this way.On behalf of Scot and his family, we would like to give a heartfelt thank you to the staff at Mercy Medical, especially the nurse at the very end. His last act in this world was when he pointed at you, gave a thumbs up, and said "awesome.” Your kindness and care is truly appreciated.We would like to extend an invitation to a gathering on Tuesday, March 29th, beginning at 5pm, at St. Gabriel’s Church in Neenah. There will be a short service in Scot’s honor at 6:30, followed by a light buffet dinner and visitation until 8:30.

Obituary Preview: Greg Evers, age 61, passed away on Sunday March 6th at home with his wife Vicky and his children Aaron and Ashley by his side. He will be missed by so many who loved him, especially his mother Adriana, his brothers and sisters Gary (Sue), Pat (Don), Bob (Ann), Steve (Al), Paul (Tina), and Mary Kay (Brent), his stepchildren Eric and Jackie (Darrold), and his grandchildren Benjamin, Shauna, Paul, Alyse, and William. A special thank you to the Bennett team and his racing buddies, his fishing buddy Ron Gruenstern, his pyro buddy Steve LaDuke, and his working buddies at Stockbridge Engineering, especially Jerry Schneider.A very special thank you to his cancer care team. You all meant the world to him. Also, many thank yous to the Theda Care Hospice nurses and CNAs for making Greg’s time with his family the best. You know you are all thinking it, so one last time, say it with me. POOR GREG!!! I Love you “MORE”Memorial services for Greg will be held on Thursday, March 17th at 11:00 AM at St. Paul’s Catholic Church. 410 Wallace St., Combined Locks. Memorial visitation for Greg will be held at the church from 10:00 AM until the time of services. A Celebration of Life will be held this summer.

Obituary Preview: Jesse T. Ramirez passed away at ThedaCare Regional Hospital on March 6, 2022 with his family by his side.Jesse was born on March 1, 1976, he was 46 years old. Jesse loved to do arts and crafts. He was very handy at fixing things. He worked as a custodian and maintenance man at Spring Creek in Pierre, SD for five years where he lived from 2012 until 2017. In 2017, he moved back to Omro, Wisconsin and worked for a landscaping company.Jesse loved fishing and playing his drums. He was a very good drummer and played in various places with the band called Cuso 4. Playing them drums since he was 10 years old is what he was well known for. He used to do a drum solo that I think lasted for like five minutes he just kept going on those drums. His humor and loving personality will be missed by many.Jesse is survived by his wife Amanda Ramirez (Davis) and his son Trenton Ramirez who proudly serves in the military in the Army Reserves. Jesse is also survived by his mother, Diane Putzer (Ramirez), step-father Steve Putzer, sister Roxanne Ramirez, Oshkosh and brother Jasen Ramirez, Madison. Jesse had many cousins, one niece and one nephew.Jesse was preceded in death by his father Teddy G. Ramirez, grandparents Merle and Barbara Thull from Eureka. Also preceding him in death are his grandparents Esther and Vincent Ramirez, Oshkosh, WI.A memorial gathering and celebration of life will be held at Tanners on main street in Omro, WI on April 9, 2022 from 4:00pm until 10:00pm.Please come join us remembering Jesse. And we can talk about the good memories and all the fun we had with him. Please bring pictures, CD’s or whatever you would like to share.

Obituary Preview: Cynthia (Cindi) Robel passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her children and beloved dog on March 4, 2022.Cindi was born on April 28, 1958 to the late Volney Meyers and late Jeanette Nemmetz.Cindi went to school in the Neenah Joint School District, and later attended the Fox Valley Technical College.Cindi married John Phelan in 1979.They proceeded to have 3 children prior to divorcing.Through Cindi and John divorced they remained excellent co-parents and best friends until John’s passing in 1995.Cindi worked for over 30 years in the health care system.She began as an assistant in nursing homes, worked her way to the emergency department at Appleton Medical Center before becoming an EKG Technician.Balancing a full-time career with 3 kids left little room for much, but Cindi would not have had it any other way.Cindi re-married after her children had grown to Jeff Robel.They enjoyed a few years together before divorcing once realizing they were better off as friends.In Cindi’s free time she enjoyed reading, online farming, watching the birds, and spending time with her grandchildren and pets.Cindi is survived by an older sister Diane (Paul) Arrowood; her 3 children: Jessica (Jesse Winkler) Stoegbauer, Nikki (Darin Diver Sr) Trombello, Chris Phelan; a nephew David (Dana) Arrowood; a niece Rebecca Arrowood; and her beloved Dusty puppy and Elsa (cat).Cindi is further survived by her grandchildren she was very proud of: Jorden Trombello, Theo Stoegbauer, Audra Phelan, Darin Diver Jr, and Natalee Diver.Cindi is also further survived by a great nephew and great niece, along with truly incredible “in-laws” The Phelan Family.Per Cindi’s wishes there will not be a service held.Cindi’s children would like to thank the Thedacare Hospice team for all of their support during this difficult time.

Obituary Preview: Mom: A Tribute to Our MotherDolores Juanita Timm, 80, passed away on March 4, 2022, due to neurological and other complications following a brief illness. She passed peacefully in the presence of loving family at Brewster Village, her home for the past several years. Dolores grew up and lovingly raised her family in the Oshkosh/Ripon area. An only child, she was preceded in death by her parents, Alvin and Willabelle (nee Hafemeister) Bostwick, and her husband, Danlee. She is survived by her daughters and sons-in law, Debra Frikart (Robert) and Brenda Timm (Doug Marsh), and lots of extended family. There are so very many things we could share about our Mom, but these are some highlights and just a few of our fond memories…Dolores was a loving and devoted wife to our Dad, who she fondly called Danny. On September 2, 1960, she married “the boy next door” – literally; they knew each other for over 70 years, and shared 56+ wedded years. She treasured the cards and gifts he’d given her, missed and thought of him often after he passed (2017), looked forward to when they’d be reunited, and often spoke of him in her limited lucid moments in the few days leading up to her passing.Though not a teacher by vocation, Dolores none-the-less taught us all much – both by word and example. There were practical things, like teaching Danny and her daughters how to drive, how to wash dishes, sew, cook, etc. But even more so, she instilled in us a deep sense of morals/values, including honesty, empathy, compassion, caring for all living things/Nature, and the attitudes of appreciation and gratitude. Dolores was one of the most honest, giving and caring/loving people you could ever know. She loved being a mother more than anything in the world – and unlike many moms who can hardly wait for school vacations to be over, she treasured them and the time they afforded to spend time with us. She often shared that the years raising us were the best and most favorite years of her life. We were and are blessed to be enfolded in her unconditional and everlasting love.Dolores’s kindness and compassion were not limited to her husband and daughters. She cared deeply for all living things, including plants and animals – which also meant that we grew up immersed in all things natural. Over the years, we happily shared our lives with a wonderful menagerie of critters – including canaries, finches, parakeets, all kinds of fish, turtles, dogs and cats – and lots of house plants, outdoor flower beds and vegetable gardens. She – and we – enjoyed hours (years!) of delight and entertainment engaging both with indoor pets, as well as watching the outdoor wildlife that visited her much-loved bird houses, bird baths and feeders.Dolores had a great sense of humor, knew how to be silly and was just plain FUN! She had a beautiful, warm and sincere smile – and we were blessed to see it often. Some of our favorite memories are of “us three girls” sitting around talking, being silly and laughing hysterically about “nothing.” We often playfully bantered, stumbling into words or phrases that struck our funny bones – and stuck as “inside jokes” for life – such as our favorites “Esther Eyebrow” and “Cavewoman,” which still make us laugh out loud! (We know… you had to be there. LOL) She loved music – especially Elvis, rock-n-roll and anything “lively” – and she played her stereo louder than any teenager! Like, rattle-the-windows loud! She also loved chocolate-covered cherries, BBQ potato chips, ketchup, pineapple upside-down cake and Pepsi.Our family didn’t have much in the way of financial resources or material things. But she – and therefore, we – were wealthy with love, resilience, ingenuity, and gratitude. Dolores had mastered the ability to “make due” and make the best of everything. She always clipped coupons, bought on sale, and knew ways to “stretch” our food – including being the Queen of Casseroles! (They were good, too!) She made us (and our Barbie dolls) clothing when we were kids. And she perfected a system for planning and budgeting, setting aside small, targeted amounts each paycheck so that when bills came, she always had the funds to pay them. She instilled in us the values of living within our means, saving for things versus going into debt, and paying bills on time.Dolores’s ability to “make the best of things” and find the silver linings in life served her well, including her move into Brewster Village. Being a very private person, “institutional” life was a huge and, in many ways, very unpleasant change for her – little to no privacy, lots of noise from others’ loud TVs, etc. She could easily have been miserable. But she was determined to make the most of her new surroundings – and with the help of the noise-canceling headphones we got her, she fully embraced her new living situation and created a new, love-filled home for herself. She filled her room with animal statues large and small, her beloved bird clock (a different bird’s song played each hour), pretty doilies, lots of music CDs, and more. But the biggest things she brought to her space were the kindness and compassion she shared with her neighbors and caregivers. In spending her last week with her at Brewster, we were witness to the tremendously loving and close community she had built there with both residents and staff – who all spent time visiting and praying with her until her final hours – truly her second family.

Obituary Preview: Barbara entered peacefully into her heavenly home on February 21, 2022 surrounded by her loving family. She is survived by her husband of 71 years, Dr. Gilbert F. Mueller, Jr., five children, Jeff, Kathy, Deb, Bill (Chris), and Beth. Oma was cherished by her five grandchildren; John (Kim), Meg (Lucas), Jack, Jimmy, Will, and great grandchildren Rylee and Brady.Born in Brooklyn, NY on November 3, 1930, Barbie enjoyed an idyllic childhood in Maplewood, NJ, including summers on Cape Cod and at Camp Runoia in Maine. She graduated from Colby Sawyer College in New Hampshire where she met Gil, a Dartmouth College student. After making their way across the country for Ace’s surgical training, they settled in Appleton in 1962. She raised their five children while being active in the Appleton hospitals’ auxiliary programs, PEO, and the Fox Cities Tennis Club. She continued her life of service, learning, and playing competitive team tennis until the age of 85 in Oro Valley, AZ.Barb’s lifelong passion of nature was shared with her children, grandchildren, and many fourth graders as the “Original Pond Lady” at Mosquito Hill Nature Center. She was also a docent at Tohono Chul Nature Center near Oro Valley, AZ where the couple enjoyed winters for 26 years.A celebration of life will be planned for a date later in the summer of 2022.

Obituary Preview: Remembering Laura Sitzberger (Gillitzer), 45, of Campbellsport, WILaura joined her mother Nancy in eternal life on February 11, 2022. Laura attended West Bend High School and graduated from UW Madison with a Bachelor's degree in Animal Science. In 7th grade Laura met her best friend, Mike Sitzberger, who became the love of her life(see their love story below). Mike and Laura built a home and have four children; Paige, Michael, Conner, Bella.Laura's love for her husband, children, and entire family will be valued for many generations. Her passion for breeding Golden Retrievers and helping others has touched many people's lives. Laura would talk to a stranger who seemed upset (which often ended in a hug), she would pay for people's groceries or food at a drive through. All this was to help make a stranger's day better. She knew that these small efforts that take virtually no time could have a profound impact on their day and maybe life. If you are reading this, please take time to be like Laura and find simple ways to help make someone's day better, it is more rewarding than you can imagine.Laura was preceded in death by her mother, Nancy Gillitzer, and is survived by her father, Martin Gillitzer; sister, Lisa Hankerson(Scott Graskey); brother, Lance Gillitzer(Nikki); twin sister Leah Lietzke(Bill); Mother & Father-in-law Mike & Barb Sitzberger; sister-in-law Stacy Hanson; sister-in-law Amy Fiess(Kevin); her beloved nieces & nephews Kasey, Brett, Jacob, Courtney, Kaitlyn, Kaden, Grace, Brooklyn, Logan, Seth; and many family and friends.Laura’s life will be celebrated at Campbellsport Alliance Church, N1876 Highway V in Campbellsport, WI on Saturday, February 26 at 1 p.m. Prayer & Words from family 1:30 to 2 p.m. Fellowship & Sharing Memories 2-4 p.m. In Lieu of flowers, family and friends coordinated a family memorial: donation care of Michael Sitzberger, mailed to Campbellsport Alliance Church, N1876 Highway V in Campbellsport, WI 53010 Laura's Love Story (written by her husband) LMN you LoraIt is with a heavy heart that I am sharing yesterday (2/11) I lost my best friend, wife, and mother of my children. She had a surgery and struggled with some complications that led to her joining her mother in heaven. Sleep eludes me at 3 am so the rest of this may get lengthy and punctuated poorly (uhhh yeah lack of sleep caused that), but I hope you will find the words worth reading.MY ASK: If you reach out to me, please know I may not reply, but it does not mean I do not appreciate your words. PLEASE help my kids understand their mom even more with ANY and as many stories of her as you can.But wait, those who know Laura would not want you to be sad. So, sit right back and you’ll hear a tale—a tale of a perfect life. I met Laura on a basketball court where I mistakenly went for the same ball she did. I found my arm being grabbed, ripped off, and somehow, I was kissing the divider wall at Silverbrook Middle School. This is where my story starts with Laura. She was 5’4” and full of fire. Probably smaller then, but no less punch. We sent “Hi Mike” and “Hi LORA” notes (I did not know how to spell her name). You see, she liked my friend Jesse. Laura paid $20 to Tony and me for a recording of Jesse (cracking voice and all) singing I Will Remember You by Skid Row (ahhhh to be young). As with many things, this ended and we went into our freshman year of High School. My sister Amy got Laura’s sister Lisa to drive her to my house where they proceeded to make me date Laura. We held hands on the bus and I helped do her homework, because our handwriting was equally bad. This did not last as God’s plan was for us to become best friends. When she was 16, I bought her a black hills gold ring (that is special in my family) to show her what she meant to me as a friend. She was family. She did not take that ring off for 29 years until yesterday. We continued to be close through high school guiding each other when we were being dumb (aka teenagers).After high school, I asked Laura to come with me to my uncle’s wedding as, she was my BAE (as the kids say, or maybe they don’t) to come along. We slow danced to When You Say Nothing at All by Alison Krause, a song that summed up our life. My sisters (Stacey and Amy) “accidently” bumped into us at the same time pushing us from the arm’s length grandma style dance to a close dance. After I drove her home, we were talking about what we are looking for in a person. Maybe it was the sleepiness of two AM that helped us realize we were describing each other exactly and we ask “Why didn’t we not see this sooner?” From there on we were one. Holding hands—hot and sweaty—for a five-hour car ride because you never want to let go.Never was there a doubt that this beautiful woman who almost ripped my arm off would be holding my arm for life. She was willing to be arms deep in grease while fixing a car or dolled up in a dress at Pieces of 8 (our first date). I know, right? The perfect girl. Even when her dad, Marty held a machete to a sensitive southern area making sure I treated his daughter with respect (I did) scared me off. Laura went to college in Madison and I visited every weekend, shooting out the door of work on Friday and waiting until the last second on Monday at four AM to go to work.It was time for me to ask Laura’s parents to marry her. Being naturally afraid of Marty because Laura was his little girl, I asked Nancy to breakfast to find out how not to get hurt. After dragging out why I asked her to breakfast (I enjoyed that as Nancy liked the dish) I told her my intent and she welcomed it and said I should have no concerns. So, after a day of helping Marty work (figured I would tire him out) I asked him. He got very serious and I think the only time in my life did he approve of us getting married. I told my parents, Barb and Mike, and they said it was about time. Mom said it was obvious from the first day she was helping me fix a car that she was not going anywhere and dad had already seen her as a daughter. I told her twin sister Leah that I was going to ask her. She helped me plan the best/cheesiest way possible. I caught the garter—Laura caught the bouquet. We had 10 people on each side of us who ran from them like the plague so we got them. I went down on one knee and said “Laura, we have been best friends for 10 years, I want to be best friends for the rest of our life” to which Laura said “Noooooo”. Or that was all the crowd of 200+ could hear, she was in disbelief and said “Oh my God, nooooo” and through a snotty, teared filled kiss, she said “Yes!” After Lance almost knocked us over, we once again danced to our song: When You Say Nothing at All.Finally on June 19, 1999 I was blessed more than any man could have been. I made Laura my wife at her parents’ house; outdoors with fireworks, help me signs under coat tails, do not disturbed signs, ho-down, cellos, group huddles to make sure how to answer will you take her to be your wife. We had our reception at Skate Country, because we spent so much time there as kids. Then we needed a place to live so we went to the neighbor to see if they wanted to sell their parents’ 39 acres and the old farmhouse. He said “I don’t know, I really never thought about it, I suppose so.” We got back from our honeymoon, handed a check for more money than I ever had, and in July 2019 we moved into our house. The glass in the windows rattled and there were mouse traps with bones left. We spent the next 19 years tearing down and adding on. Doing everything with the help of my dad, Laura’s dad, brothers, sisters, books from the library and when the internet came, we used that. It was a labor of love (most of the time). We sold that house and bought a property that had a lot on the lake. Because of Laura pushing me to buy our first house and land (which I don’t know I would have without her support) we were able to build our final house on the lake. Our dream came true. She said I could not do any of the work because she wanted to move in and I mostly listened. Lance, her brother, helped us by moving schedules and getting the electric done. This was key in helping us move in and allowed Laura to enjoy our house before she left.Along the way Laura gave me my four amazing children. This section is hard, I cannot describe what Laura gave to them. She did it in ways with a mother’s view that I never could have. They are who they are because of her. They were the center of our world. Laura’s helped instill moral compassion, caring, helping others, doing the right thing, and spiritual guidance in ways that they needed which changed kid by kid. Even when they would not stay in time outs, or figured out how to say no back to us. She loved and guided them through it all.I will give you a glimpse of our amazing kids (or this would be even more words). First came Paige, born with such red lips, people thought I put lipstick on her. She was like her mom, wearing a mini bride’s dress on top of a dirt pile. She shared her life stories that Laura drank up and gave advice for. Then Michael, who immediately took to the cello and played music that warmed Laura’s heart and has so much love for his family, even during time outs. Conner was next, he waited until 6 centimeters to go from head down to butt down, resulting in a C-section. He is a wrestler and makes Laura crazy and proud (wrestling moms know what I mean). Here is a bit of TMI for you: I was set to no longer have kids (yup snip snip). The day of my procedure, I got a call from Laura saying she had love left and pointed out that so did I. This is a true testament to how great our kids are. Staying at home with 3 kids would drive most to tap out. I am glad for her wisdom, as we were blessed with our fourth and final child, Bella. Bella will say and do the darndest things to make you smile. I see glimmers of Laura and her phrases in all of my kids, but Bella seems to pull more of them out. God gave me 4 kids, all with bits of Laura so she will be with me always.If you made it this far, I will try to be brief. I have re-written this paragraph no less than 50 times. I am trying to find a way to convey the love I felt for her, and how much she changed me for the better, but God did not give us the ability to express words enough. We hardly ever fought in our marriage, which gave us so much more quality time in the short time we have had. This was largely due to Laura, as she was willing to bend until my block head could come around and see how I was wrong. She ALWAYS supported me in every decision I made. When Michael came down the stairs and said “Dad, when are you going to quit your job so we can see you?” Laura did not hesitate when I said I was going to leave a very successful job, which I loved and worked towards for 20 years. She reminded me of what true love and success was and that made the decision so much easier. That was over 5 years ago and my life is so much fuller because of her support. She helped over 30 years to guide me towards God, a relationship I would not have had without her, and need, especially now. When we first got married, the marriage counselor/test lady said that the bible said that the wife will obey the husband. I laughed because I thought she was joking. Laura over time helped me understand that her obeying (I say supporting my decisions) only made me want to seek her guidance and value her opinion before I made decisions. You see, this is a glimpse into Laura’s wisdom. I recently found that the passage has a second part; a man must treat his wife as God would treat man. She helped me do that without me knowing.The end, for now: Before she left she talked about friends and family and how she wanted them all to know she loved them and she was soooo thankful for all they gave us and how they made her life blessed and fantastic. I was woke up at 03:14 yesterday morning for no reason. One minute later, I received a call that Laura’s heart stopped, she knew I needed to be there and came to me. She was revived many times throughout the day. We had our last dance around 16:24 last night. I played When You Say Nothing at All one last time when I knew she was ready for her mom to guide her home. Her heart stopped, but the song was not done. She came back to me one last time and willed her heart to beat a little longer for me and we finished our dance….as that song ended and so did my best friend. I wish I could do Laura better justice than these few words but I will leave you with things that help us live a full life:• Everyone says relationships are 50/50. If you do that, you are cheating, you can each give 100%. Laura always gave me 100%. • God; we cannot always understand his plan. But he gave me Laura since 7th grade, to be a friend, lover, wife, and a mother. He helped us not fight so we did not waste the precious little time we had on things that do not matter which allowed us to focus on us• Please do this, we learned it in a seminar and practiced it yearly. Dim the lights, play some soft music, hold your spouse and talk to them as though they are dead. It is intimate, and you realize what you will miss when they are gone. And then PLEASE love them for everything they are and are not! Find ways to complete each other, because you can and you deserve to.• The people closest to use are often the ones we take for granted. I am guilty of this, but I tried every day to do one thing for Laura that she did not know about every day. I moved a coin in my wallet from one side to the other every day. I would not move it until I did something for her; dishes, my own socks, etc. My advice on this one is to get a bag of coins because you will never regret doing things for them. When they are gone, you will only regret not doing more of them.I want to thank everyone who helped Laura through the years to make her time here better. Every interaction she had with you made her life worth living. I LMN You Laura (love you, miss you, need you…it was our thing) I will see you someday!

Obituary Preview: Martha Kay Glessner, 87, of Appleton, Wisconsin passed away February 2, 2022 at Touchmark of West Prospect under the care of Thedacare Hospice. Kay was born December 13, 1934 in Marshalltown, Iowa, the daughter of William W. and Martha E. (Beth) Baldwin Putney. She married Roy L. Glessner August 31, 1957, in Waterloo, Iowa. He proceeded her in death in 1997.She is survived by two daughters, Ann, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and Holly (Rich Kenyon), Longmont, Colorado. She is also survived by her niece, Deborah (Dr. James) Loux of Clear Lake, Iowa and their two children Sarah Loux and Megan (Jordan) Crosser, nephew Clark Albert (Tracy) Lane of Granby, Colorado and their two children, Ryan and Emma and nephew William Lane of Carroll, Iowa. Kay’s sister Shirley, preceded her in death.Kay graduated from the University of Iowa. She lived in Cedar Falls, Iowa until 1990 when she and Roy retired to Door County, Wisconsin which they both dearly loved. She was a respected antique dealer and an active member of the Wisconsin Antique Dealers Association, serving as an officer and board member. She was a sustaining member of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Junior League and Chapter EE PEO Sisterhood.Kay was an avid gardener and loved to do needlework and play bridge. She enjoyed international travel and had the pleasure of many memorable trips over the years including African Safari, Thailand and a hot air balloon ride in Turkey. She loved to cook and to entertain friends and was known for her annual Christmas Tea. In her later years she volunteered for Feed and Clothe My People and thoroughly enjoyed sorting through and pricing their jewelry donations – it reminded her of being in the antique business. She moved from her beautiful home in Door County to Touchmark on West Prospect in October 2018 where she enjoyed her sunny apartment and new Appleton friends.

Obituary Preview: Michael Jon Everson was born March 5th, 1948 and passed away peacefully on January 28, 2022. He was a graduate of Appleton West High School, class of 1966. He went on to enlist in the Marine Corps where he was a radio operator and repairman. He went on to achieve the rank of sergeant, earn numerous medals and was awarded an honorable discharge. He married Lynn Delrow in 1972 and moved to Jacksonville, Florida and raised 2 sons, Scott (Kristen) Everson and Andy (Lisa) Everson. Mike was a hard worker and was successful in the automobile air conditioning industry through the port in Jacksonville. He was employed by World Cars, Joy Serve, and Cadillac over this period of time. In his past time he enjoyed spending time at “Miller’s Landing” where he would fish and shrimp. After 20 years in Florida, he relocated back to the Appleton area and married Linda Schmitz. Mike was employed at James River Paper Corporation in Menasha. Throughout his life he was a loving father and had a great sense of humor. He loved to make people laugh and had a “Marine” sense of humor. It would not be uncommon to find him reminiscing at the American Legion with his brothers and sisters from all branches of service.

Obituary Preview: Robert died peacefully at his sister’s home due to complications with COPD.Bob was born in Flint, MI and lived in several states throughout his life, with Menasha, WI being his final stop. Bob was a Navy Veteran and master chef for several restaurants along the East Coast for many years.He is survived by 3 brothers; Gene (Sally) Sanford of TN, Dale (Bonnie) Sanford of FL, Donnie Sanford of FL, 2 sisters; Irma (James) Strebe of WI, Beth Hensley of AR, 3 daughters; Lisa (Ray) Schmid of WI, Carla (Brad) Hegge of WI, Kim (Jana Vander Loop) Thompson of WI, former wife Donna Sanford (mother to Lisa and Carla), 11 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.Bob was preceded in death by his parents Forrest and Agnes Sanford, sister Barbara Lane, brother David Sanford, Sue Thompson (mother to Kim) and life partner for the past 34 years Maryann Ward.The family would like to thank ThedaCare Hospice for their dedication and support through their end of life care they provided Bob with.

Obituary Preview: Jim Bricco completed his circle of life on January 26 under hospice care at home with his family and pets by his side.He was hospitalized for a stroke on each side of the brain. He fought hard for 19 days to meet his goal of being able to see the joy of his life, Alec, graduate from high school. He regained walking, talking, beating Alec in cribbage and making it to rehab. We were rejoicing! Unfortunately, he was not able to get his swallowing back and developed pneumonia. We are grateful for the additional time to see his fighting spirit, to talk, laugh, here his stories, celebrate his life, see him flirting with the nurses, call and visit with friends and family, and share lots of I love yous. We are grateful for the extra time to enjoy our beautiful blue eyed Jim.Jim lived and loved BIG to the very end. He always gave life all he had.Jim was orphaned as a young boy along with his brother Bob Bricco, Eugene(Fibber), Bricco and twin sisters Kathleen (Esker)and Bernadine (Kiedrowski). After his parents passed he lived with an aunt and uncle and cousins Bette (Fieock)and Joann (Sanborn) in Marshfield.Jim was an outstanding high school athlete lettering in Football, Basketball, and Track. He always regretted not being able to play baseball because of farm chores. Jim received an athletic scholarship for football to UW Madison. He also played college football at UWStout and at Western State in Colorado. He liked to tell stories of how much fun college was and all the adventures he had. Going to the library to study was not on that list.Jim worked at Fischer Body in Janesville, lived in the fast lane, and then enlisted in the Army-18th Airborne Corps Ft Bragg. He was a clerk typist, but his main job was playing football for the Army and jumping out of planes and choppers. He shared lots of stories about all the fun and trouble he got into. Apparently he spent the most time on KP of anyone in his unit. Jim was always wild and adventurous and the life of the party.Jim loved bowling, hunting, fishing, golfing, boating, traveling, Packer games, Vegas, the racetrack, cooking and entertaining friends and being at the cottage by the fire. He was such a fun person to be around.Jim served on the Neenah police department for 30 years earning rank of Lieutenant.He and brother Bob built and ran Bricco's Beverage stores for many years in Neenah. He loved any new challenge and being with people.Jim’s passion was building. His building skills are evident in the many homes, businesses, hospitals, remodels and additions in Neenah and throughout the state. He was always happiest with a hammer and saw. Jim was always the first to volunteer to help people.Jim treasured time with family-daughter Rhonda Lee and son Keith. He loved spending time with nieces and nephews, especially time and phone calls from Kip. He had a large circle of friends who brought much joy to his life.He married Rhonda D in 1989 and had 33 crazy,fun ,and adventurous times together. ( Most people gave them a week HA!) Together they cherished raising their son Alec. Jim was a wonderful husband and father. He loved his pets, Maple, Charlie and Dickens.Jim’s spoken wish was to have any memorials go to his son Alec Bricco to be used for college. He said it would be the last and everlasting gift he gave him. He always told Alec to study hard and get a good education.

Obituary Preview: Shirley Henderson went to heaven to be with her Lord and Savior on Monday, January 24, 2022, at the age of 65. Shirley was born to Donald and Nancy Nelson in Menominee, Michigan, in 1957. She is survived by her mother, Nancy Nelson; two children, Stacy Henderson and Christopher Henderson; siblings Laurie Nelson, Ann (Damian) Lakomy, Raymond (Betty) Nelson, Andrew Nelson (Chris); and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her father, Donald Nelson, grandparents, Edwin and Jeanette Nelson and Mervin and Clara Christianson, and special friend Charles Caldwell. Shirley had a special love and talent for befriending stray animals and enjoyed nurturing and caring for many over the years.We would like to thank Shirley’s incredible hospice team from Thedacare at Home for their care and compassion.

Obituary Preview: Faith Ann Mendez (Paape) passed away unexpectedly early Sunday morning January 23, 2022 in Appleton, WI. at the age of 79. She was a resident at Care Partners Assisted Living Facility in Appleton. Although she dealt with several health complications throughout her life it did not deter her from displaying a cheerful and kind disposition.Faith was born June 14, 1942 in Clintonville, WI, the daughter of Earl and Betty Paape. She lived most of her adult life in Appleton, WI where she met and married Ralph Mendez and raised their daughter Maria.Faith attended Zion Lutheran Church in Appleton and her faith in Jesus Christ sustained her throughout her life.Faith was preceded in death by her husband Ralph and her parents. She is survived by her daughter Maria, two granddaughters, Tia and Isabelle, a brother Mark, two sisters, Susan and Marcy, as well as several cousins. Faith Ann was the family historian. She could remember names and dates and events better than anyone else in the family.We will miss her kind heart, sincere concern for others and sense of humor and look forward to a glad reunion to come.A memorial service is planned for this coming May at Zion Lutheran Church in Appleton.

Obituary Preview: Gerald W. Krueger passed away on January 21st, 2022. Jerry was born in Milwaukee on September 30th, 1936. Jerry loved his "farm" and the deer that roamed his forest. Deer camp with the guys, the Green Bay Packers and barstool debates were his favorite pastimes. The last several years he was forced to abandon his love of the outdoors and moved to Prairie Home in Menasha.Jerry was preceded in death by his mother Marge Bartel, his sister Nancy Schultz, brother in law Larry Francis and nephew Keith Zurkowski.He is survived by his sister Margie Francis, brothers Ronald & Florian Wiza and sister Marcie (Bob) Zurkowski. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Obituary Preview: Greg Wahl, former Evansville resident, passed away at Appleton Medical Center on January20th, 2022 at the age of 51 after a long and hard fought battle with heart disease and cancer. Greg was born to Carol Wahl Paulson and James Wahl on April 7th, 1970. Greg graduated from Evansville High School in 1988 where he excelled in music; playing a great trumpet and acting in musicals. His most memorable character was playing Daddy Warbucks in “Annie.” Throughout his years in Evansville, Greg enjoyed participating in activities, but his favorite wasswimming and he was always on the summer swim team where he earned many medals. After high school, Greg graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison and later from MadisonTechnical College.Greg loves family and enjoyed gathering together with all of us when he was feeling good. Greg’s father, James Wahl, passed away when Greg was 14, and when he was 16, he gained a new father, John Paulson, whom Greg grew to love unconditionally. Along with a new father, Greg also gained two more sisters, Wendy and Holly, and a brother, Mark. John adopted Gregshortly thereafter. Greg met Rob Carlson a few years after college. He and Rob were married on the Capitol grounds in 2012. They lived in Madison for some time and then moved to Appleton to be closerto family. Greg is preceded in death by his father, James Allen Wahl and his maternal grandparents, OrlinHolm and Marian (Long) Holm. Greg is survived by his husband, Rob Carlson; mother, Carol (Wahl) Paulson; father, John Paulson; sisters, Lisa (Wahl) Larson,Sharon (Ziegler) Paulson, Wendy (Pauson) Entwistle, and Holly Paulson; brothers, Mark Paulson, Craig Larson, and Kevin Entwistle; nieces and nephews, Nolan Kiesacker and McKenzie (Larson) Kiesacker, Connor Larson and Kimberly (Bestul) Larson, and one Great-niece, Rylee Grace Kiesacker (whom Greg adored). He also had many adoring aunts and uncles including Jan Fitzsimmons-Magee and Max Magee of LakeBarrington, IL and numerous cousins and friends. Greg’s family would like to thank the Appleton Medical Center and the ICU doctors, nurses, and therapists who took such good care of him. A private family prayer service is planned for the immediate family with a Celebration of Life to be held near Greg’s birthday in April. Details willfollow later. Rest in Peace dear Greg, you fought the brave fight and never gave up. You are missed and

Obituary Preview: Robert (Bobby) M. Forbes, age 62, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, January 11, 2022. He was born on January 1, 1960, to Robert H. and Lorna Forbes, in Fon du Lac, Wisconsin.Bobby attended Neenah High School and graduated in 1978. In 1979, he married his high school sweetheart, Kim Martino. Though they later divorced after 39 years of marriage, they remained close friends. Bobby’s happiest times were spent fishing, boating, and camping on Shawano Lake, where he had a permanent campsite for over 25 years. He was a very giving person, helping anyone in need.He cherished his grandchildren, as well as his great niece and nephew, Emily, and Edward Gwinn.Bobby was previously employed at Oshkosh Corp.In addition to Kim, Bobby leaves behind his five children: Michael (Jennifer) Forbes, Debra (Dale) Tiedemann, Scott (Heidi) Forbes, Kimberly Forbes, and Steven (Stephanie) Forbes; grandchildren: Samuel Forbes, Nathan Forbes and Adelyn Forbes. He is further survived by his mother, Lorna Forbes; five sisters: Barbara (Greg) Warner, Judith (Richard) Essmann, Kathleen (John) Julius, Susan (William) Steffen and Mary (John) Kriz as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert and two grandsons: Nicholas Forbes and Benjamin Tiedemann.A special thank you to our sister Kathleen Julius for caring for him the last several years of his life.

Obituary Preview: John “Jack” Salm 75 was born on Sept. 12,1946 To Martin Salm and Elizabeth Dunsirn Salm in Appleton WI. He passed away Jan. 11, 2022, surrounded by his loving family.Jack graduated from Hortonville High School in 1965. He enjoyed spending time with his family. Much of the time he could be found playing cards with his siblings or visiting with his children and grandchildren. He also enjoyed fishing, cooking, reading, playing pool, watching movies, and going out to eat. He will be remembered as a loving, honest, kind, funny man who would do anything for family and friends.Jack is survived by his children: Melissa Salm and Sandra (Chris) Dowds, grandchildren: Kayli (Matthew) Bellile, Amaia Lawrence, and Elijah Dowds, great grandchildren: Tegan Bellile and Rylee Bellile, siblings: Martin (Joann) Salm, Marie (Ron) Nelson, Pat Osterling, and Wendy (Henry) Van Stippen brother-in-law Gerald Bauman as well as many nieces and nephews. Jack was greeted in heaven by his parents, sisters Shirley Bauman, Margie Salm, Nancy Stueber, brother-in-law Dewey Osterling. Jack will be missed greatly by friends and family and remembered for his amazing hugs.We would like to thank the staff at Thedacare for their care and compassion.

Obituary Preview: Marjorie (Zak) Corson 82, passed away January 10, 2022 after a long courageous battle with Parkinson’s. Marjorie had many jobs, but Marjorie’s proudest accomplishment was raising her children as a single mother, and spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She enjoyed playing Bingo, a good board game, crocheting and knitting for many years until it became too difficult to.Marjorie is survived by her sons, LeRoy Corson, David (Tara) Corson and grandson Amon Odin, Her brother Richard Zak. Granddaughter Abigail Cleveland and her children Luna, Selene, and Mayari, Grandson Anthony and his children Lil Anthony, Olivia. Grandson Leo Martinez and his children McKenna, Kellen, Madden Martinez and many other nieces, nephews and family and friends.She was preceded in death by her parents: Marian Kozikowski and Chester Zak, her daughters: Maria Corson, Vicki Lappen and Valeata “Bunny” Lappen, and son Perry Lappen, her brothers the “Zak boys”, Raymond, Thomas, Bob, and William (Bill). Former spouses: Walter Lappen, and Sidney Todd Corson.The family would like to thank the staff at Applecreek Assisted living, the staff from Community care, and the staff from Hospice for their love and compassion they showed for Marjorie while living there for the past few years.She will be forever Loved and missed, but is living a pain free life surrounded by her family and friends in heaven.Marjorie would want us to remember the good times we shared. It is never goodbye, it is always until we see each other again. Peace and Love.

Obituary Preview: Born August 12, 1922 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.Mary worked at Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada. She became one of the singers and dancers in the Sun Life Revue and performed for military service members in Quebec and Ontario during the war. The group did go overseas but due to the unfortunate early death of her father she was not able to go with them. She became secretary to the Comptroller of Computing at Canadair Ltd; a manufacturing company that built airplanes. She was an avid tennis player. Her hobbies included piano, bridge, and traveling. She traveled throughout Europe, and visited Egypt, and Thailand.She married Earl J. Ryan and had 4 children: Joanne Kenyon, Carolyn Bytof, and twins Darrell Ryan and Diane Leonard. Later she married Gerry E. Boyd. She had 5 grandchildren: Peter Otovic, Ryan Otovic, Erin Robbins, Heather Bytof, and Megan Bytof Thoma. Mary had one great-grand daughter, Reese Robbins.Mary and her second husband, Gerry, commuted from Florida to Montreal, Canada. Gerry introduced Mary to duplicate bridge as he was a renowned bridge player and had been a Gold Life Master when she met him. Gerry directed many bridge cruises which Mary enjoyed as well. She moved to Appleton, Wisconsin in 2001 to be close her daughter Carolyn Bytof. She enjoyed playing bridge and had many friends in Appleton. Mary also became a Gold Life Master and enjoyed playing in many duplicate bridge tournaments.She was predeceased by her sister Lorna L. Hogan, her mother Sylvia Homan, and father Leslie A. Tucker. She was a member of the Wesley United Church of Canada, served as a Deacon for the First Presbyterian Church of Stuart, Florida, and she was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Appleton.

Obituary Preview: Dell Syring, 66, of Neenah, WI passed away peacefully in her home on January 4, 2022, with family by her side. She was born December 18, 1955, in Appleton.Dell graduated from Neenah High School class of 1974 and worked from that time forward at Wire Works/Albany International until she retired when the mill shut down.Dell will be remembered for her devotion to the Green Bay Packers, her deceased dogs Bandit & Bruiser, her love for Hamms Special Light & and her contagious smile.Most of all, Dell loved her nieces and nephews. She was a loving Aunt to Jesse & Marty Syring, Aaron Howard, Randy Syring, Andrea Stinski, Lyndsey Lacy, Arik Rodriguez, Kody & Santana Mullins, Bailee Williams (and all their significant others) and many great nieces and nephews. Dell will be dearly missed and forever in our hearts.Dell is survived by her mother Marilyn Anunson, father Floyd “Mike” (Delia) Syring; brothers Jeff (Margie) Syring and Mark (significant other Kathy) Syring; sisters Cindy (Chuck) Sharp, Linda (significant other Brian) Kappel and Susan (Terry) Stevens. Dell is also survived by other relatives, friends and neighbors.Dell was preceded in death by her brother Roy Syring, stepfather Bruce Anunson, brother-in-Law Rob Mullins as well as her maternal and paternal Grandparent.

Obituary Preview: Bradley Demaine Brandow (Brad) died 1/1/22. He was born in Neenah WI. 5/19/66 to Dennis and Linda (Dobrinski) Brandow. He is preceeded in death by both paternal and maternal grandparents, step grandmother, mother, uncle Donald (Jessie) Peterson and niece Alecia Babbits.He is survived by his father, step mother Patricia, sisters Denice (Kym VanRossom), Lisa Haese, brother Michael, step brother Kevin (Rhonda) Mesko. Uncles Robert (Diana) Peterson, William, 2 half uncles Jeff and Randy Dobrinski, Aunt Jessie, many cousins, a niece Jensen Haese, step niece Karrisa (Kurt) Fenn, step nephew Tyler VanRossom. 1 great nephew Martin, 2 great nieces Giana and Ava, 4 step great nieces Isabella, Adelyn, Hadlee and Ava.He lived in the Fox Valley most of his life. While he lived with his father, he helped his step grandmother, Birgit with some care and friendship. She loved his caring nature and sense of humor.

Obituary Preview: Heaven received another angel; Dorothy Marie (Keller) Kosloski was called to the heavens above. Dorothy was born on October 24th, 1940, to Agnes M.(Sarnowski) Keller and Lester P. Keller. She was the youngest of 3 daughters. She was always a Daddy’s girl. Dorothy grew up in Menasha where she married and then gave birth to her first child John in December of 1960. In the summer of 1965 Dorothy gave birth to her only daughter Terry.Dorothy was a mother, an aunt, a life long friend, grandmother, and a great-grandmother(Miss Toots), she loved to play with her great-grandchildren, if she could find something to tease them about she would. She had a knack for trying to play pranks on the younger kids.Dorothy loved Bingo, her and her Dad would go play Bingo every Tuesday, Dorothy also enjoyed spending time with her family, as well as playing cards, watching movies, camping, going on Sunday drives, putting together puzzles as well as doing word puzzles. Dorothy was survived by her son John (Denise) Kosloski, daughter Terry (Steve) Kosloski, her grandchildren (John’s) Joshua (Amanda) Kosloski, Nicole(Daniel) Carpenter, (Terry's) David DeBlare, Bryan Frotten, Brittany (Sam) Muller, Jessica (Kevin) Woods, Victoria Mueller, DJ Muller, Grant (Terra) Butcher, Great-Grandchildren: (Josh’s) Dominick & Dytrik (Nicole’s) Anna, Jadyn, & Jasmine. (Bryan’s)Owen, Annabelle, Wyatt, Mackenzie, & Serenity. (Brittany’s) Kaiya & Amara. (Jessica’s) Sophie, Nakira, Alexis, Antonio, Ja’liyah. (DJ’s) Tevin, Brookelyn, & Brandon. (Vic’s) Mika, Davonte, & Shukaria(Starr). (Grants) Haven, Brendon, Hadleigh, & Bennet. And many great-great-grandchildren.Dorothy also has 5 God children Patty (Goose) Johnson, Susan Oesterreich-Schmidt, Dena Braeger-Olson, Brian Braeger & Laurie (Braeger) Bachand. And we cannot forget about Dorothy’s family who are more Family then friends, Christopher Rose and Joshua Aldinger.

Obituary Preview: Carolyn Holcomb, 75 passed away peacefully on December 30 at Thedacare Regional Medical Center. Carolyn was born in Brownsville, TN to Wesley and Elaine (Lawson) Mills. Carolyn enjoyed spending time with her family and her dog, Tinkerbelle. She served as the President of her resident council at Oneida Heights and made many friends during her time living there. She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Larry and her sister Marilyn. She’s survived by her son Mike (Sharon) Rhoades, daughter Tanya (Brian) Walkem. Grandkids: Debra Rhoades, Michael Rhoades, Matthew Rhoades, Tyler Walkem and Trevor Walkem. Great-grandkids: Breanna Hutchison, Cameron Hutchison, Eian Hutchison, Matthew Rhoades and her Aunt Mattie Jann. Carolyn had a lot of friendships at Oneida Heights and she cherished all of the people who helped her with her dog and kept her company on a daily basis. She enjoyed summer bingo games, riding around town in her mobile chair and enjoying the summer heat. She will be forever missed and we hope she is living a pain free life surrounded by her family and friends in heaven.

Obituary Preview: Roberta (Bobbi) Rodina, 78, passed away on Sunday Dec. 19th.Bobbi was originally from Erie PA and worked as an LPN. She moved around the country with her military ex-husband and eventually settled in WI.She is preceded in death by her parents, brother, and sister.