Obituaries

Grant A. Gauger, age 66, of the Township of Packwaukee, passed away on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at Divine Savior Healthcare Hospital in Portage.

Grant was born on July 12, 1943 in Horicon, Wisconsin. He was a self-employed painting contractor for 30 years. Grant had worked for the Wisconsin Conservation Dept. during his high school years, and loved the outdoors. He raised homing pigeons.

He is survived by his sons, Michael W. Gauger, Oconomowoc, and Mark W. Gauger, Montello; his best friend, Dean Bauknecht, Montello; other relatives and many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Mary Ellen Zephry.

Memorial services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, February 5, 2010 at the Buffalo Community Bible Church, with the Rev. Victor Hillestad officiating. Inurnment will be private.

The Pflanz Mantey Mendrala Funeral Home in Portage is assisting the family. www.pmmfh.com

James S. Hadju, age 84, of Yuma, Arizona, passed away January 27, 2010 at Yuma Regional Medical Center. He was born on April. 4, 1925 in Aurora, Illinois. James was a WWII Army Veteran and a retired machinist.

Private cremation will take place.
Arrangements handled by Desert Valley Mortuary.

Carol R. Madden, age 88 of Montello, passed away on Sunday, January 31, 2010. Carol was born in Buffalo Township on the family homestead on March 29, 1921, the daughter of Frank and Loretto (Duffy) Madden. She worked as a Registered Nurse for the VA in Madison, then Milwaukee, retiring in the late 1970’s.

She is survived by her four nieces and their families. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Kevin, John, Harry and Maurice; sisters, Marie, Helen and Winifred.

Mass of Christian burial for Carol Madden will be held on Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Buffalo Township. Father John Hedrick will preside. Burial will follow at St. Andrew’s Catholic Cemetery. Visitation for Carol will be held at the church on Thursday morning from 10:00 a.m. until time of service.

Memorial may be made to Divine Savior Extended Care in Carol’s name.
The Smith Funeral Home in Pardeeville is serving the family.

Kathleen Priebe, age 70 of Westfield, passed away on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at her home. She was born on December 20, 1939 in Milwaukee, daughter of the late Richard and Eleanor Kuhl. Kathy was married to Kenneth Priebe, he preceded her in death in 1985. She was member of the Red Hat Society, serving as Queen Mum and a past member of the Packwaukee Lions Club where she had served as president and secretary. Kathy enjoyed crafting, beading and painting.

Survivors include her special companion of 20 years, August Gmach, Westfield; one son, Jeff (Ann Brenic) Dollak, Milwaukee; two step sons, Donald Priebe, PA and Robert (Diane) Priebe, NC; her best friend, Pat Driscoll, Westfield; other relatives and many friends. She was preceded in death by her brother, Richard Kuhl.

A memorial mass for Kathy will be held on Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 12:00 p.m. at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Westfield with Rev. Michael Richel officiating. Inurnment will be in Wisconsin Memorial Park, Brookfield. A visitation will be held on Thursday from 11:00 a.m. until the hour of service at the church. In lieu of flowers memorials would be appreciated to Budda Box Against Cancer, P.O. Box 91, Westfield, WI 53964. Steinhaus-Holly Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Westfield is serving the family. Online obituaries at www.steinhaushollyfuneralhome.com

Marie Puckett passed away on January 24, 2010 at the age of 87 in Mariposa, California. She was born in Portage, Wisconsin, in 1922 to Walter Collins and Helen Arneberg. Marie left Wisconsin in 1944 to teach school in Coarsegold, California. She married Robert (Bud) Puckett there in June 1945. After many moves around the country with the U.S. Marine Corps, and over twenty years in Southern California, they retired in Mariposa in 1985.

Marie attended St. John’s Parochial School and graduated from Montello High School in 1940. She earned her teaching certificate at Central State Teachers’ College in Steven’s Point, Wisconsin, and her Bachelor’s in Social Science at age 59. She taught school for twenty years, influencing the lives of hundreds of children, including her first students in a one room school house in Dane County, Wisconsin.

Marie wrote and published “C’mon Kid, Let’s Dance”, a biography of her mother, and a short autobiography called “From Early Childhood to Second Childhood”. She loved to dance, play the piano and sing, write, read, and spend time with friends and family. A lifelong Catholic, she attended St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Mariposa.

Although Marie’s last seven years were spent in Fremont Hospital’s care center in Mariposa, Alzheimer’s disease did not completely take away her spirit. She was loved by those who watched over her, and her family will be forever grateful for their compassionate care of her, and their warm friendship for Bud, who visited her every day.

Marie is survived by her husband, Robert E. Puckett, son William E. (Bill) Puckett, currently in Guatemala, daughter Barbara Belknap and husband Doug of Juneau, Alaska, daughter Kathleen Puckett of Collinsville, Connecticut, and son Patrick Collins Puckett and wife Deborah of Nevada, sister Kathleen Aldrich of Montello, nieces and nephews: Helen Murphy Stelter and husband Digger of Montello, Sue Murphy Stelter and husband Wayne of Montello, Bob Murphy and wife Jill of Neshkoro, Tom Murphy and wife Sue, of Neshkoro, Steve Murphy of Neshkoro, and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, William Collins, who was killed in WWII in 1945, and by her younger sister, Clarice Murphy, in 2006.

The services and burial were held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Mariposa, California, on February 10, 2010. Cards can be sent to Bud Puckett, 4995 Streeter Mt. Road, Mariposa, California 95338.

MADISON - Mary Ann Stoeberl, age 79, passed away peacefully on Friday, Jan. 29, 2010, at home. She was born on May 4, 1930, in Montello, the daughter of Antone and Hilda (Kronser) Weiske. Mary Ann graduated from Montello High School in 1948 and then worked at the Ford dealership owned by her father. Mary Ann married George Stoeberl on May 17, 1952, in Montello. After raising her family, she worked at various jobs, including Madison Public Schools, Harp & Kettle, Madison Newspapers, and American Family Insurance. Mary Ann then began working full-time at the University of Wisconsin Medical School and later the Office of the Registrar, retiring in 1992.

She was an active member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, participating in the St. Anne’s Society, funeral choir and many other church activities. Mary Ann was a generous and caring person who loved her family and faith. She had a great sense of humor and enjoyed gardening and flowers. A special time for Mary Ann came last summer, when her son Tom and his family took her on a trip to Corpus Christi, Texas to surprise her sister Dorothy.

Mary Ann is survived by her children, Gerald (Amber), Carol (Robert) Sliwka, Margaret “Peg” (Kip) Marvin, Teresa Raffel, and Thomas (Diane); grandchildren, Maggie and Luke Sliwka, Max, Alex and Mary Marvin, Tony, Patrick and Peter Raffel, and Hilary, Maranda, Amelia, and George Stoeberl; a sister, Elizabeth Newhouse; two sisters-in-law, Joan (Dick) Hunter and Alice Stoeberl; brother-in-law, George Thompson; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, George; parents; and two sisters, Lucille Griffith and Dorothy Thompson.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held at IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH, 5101 Schofield St., Monona, at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010, with Father John Meinholz presiding. Burial was at St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery, Montello, at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

A special thanks to Mary Ann’s family and friends for all of their thoughts and prayers, and also Father John, Sister Julianne and the caring people from HospiceCare.

A family is a circle of strength and love. With every birth and every union, the circle grows.

Every joy shared adds more love. Every crisis faced together makes the circle stronger.
Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Centers, 5203 Monona Drive. (608) 221-5420
HYPERLINK "http://www.gundersonfh.com"www.gundersonfh.com

Francis “Frank” Washa

Francis “Frank” Washa, age 78, of Montello, passed away peacefully Thursday, January 28, 2010 at the Markesan Resident Home. He was born on November 7, 1931 in Castle Rock, WI to Frank and Emma (Pettera) Washa and graduated from Madison Edgewood High School in 1950. Frank married Kathryn Killerlain on February 9, 1952 at the St. John’s Catholic Church in Castle Rock and together they had five children.

Frank was an award winning buttermaker for Madison Dairy Produce for over 36 years. He was an avid outdoorsman and also enjoyed gardening and building bluebird houses. Frank valiantly served his country as member of the Wisconsin National Guard 32nd Red Arrow Division and also was a former member of the Madison Moose Lodge 1451.

Frank leaves behind his wife of almost 58 years, five children: James (Julie), Raymond (Vicki Taylor), Karen (William) Schaefer, Daniel (Shelly), and Charles (Debra), eight grandchildren: Frank (Doreen Brokmeier) Washa, Jeremy (Toni) Washa, Erica Washa, Aaron Washa, Lisa (fiancée Tony Alexander) Schaefer, Amanda (Shawn) Ramer, Christina Washa, and Jonathon (Amanda Baumgart) Washa, five step grandchildren: Cindy Reige, Stacey Schaefer, William Schaefer Jr., Dana Horvath, and Jason Weitzel. Frank is also survived by five great-grandchildren: Courtney, Austin, Cade, Ryne, and Damien and nine step-great-grandchildren: Brittinie, Richard Jr., Coty, Aaron, Austin, Amen, Brandon, Lilliana, and Kamara and also one step-great-great-granddaughter, Belle. He is further survived by two brothers: Joseph and Richard and three sisters: Irene Williams, Margaret Larson and Catherine Klaas.

Preceding Frank in death are his parents and brother, Harold and sisters, Mae Yapp and Isobel Minter.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, February 1, 2009 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Montello with Father Michael Richel officiating. Visitation was held Sunday at the Crawford Funeral Home in Montello and at the church on Monday from 10:00 a.m. until the hour of service. Burial will follow the service at St. John’s Catholic Cemetery, Montello. Crawford Funeral Home of Montello is serving the family. Please go to HYPERLINK "http://www.crawfordfh.com" \t "_blank" www.crawfordfh.com for online condolences and up-to-date-funeral information.