BESSIE SCHWEITZER

Bessie Frances Schweitzer joined her Savior, husband and son on Sunday, December 26, 2010. She died unexpectedly at Theda Clark Medical Center, Neenah. She was born July 6, 1917, to the late Jerry and Bessie (Napravnik) Holesovsky in Cicero, Illinois. She was an only child and proud of her Czech heritage. She loved to talk about the gangsters that they saw in the neighborhood when she was a child. At the age of 13, she and her parents moved to a farm in Little Chicago (near Deerbrook/Antigo). She attended and graduated from Little Chicago Grade School and Antigo High School. Bessie was married on June 25, 1938, to Irvin Schweitzer, in Antigo. He died in 2002 after 63 years of marriage. Together they farmed over 30 years and then retired to the Fox Valley, where Bessie worked again as a cook at the Valley Inn and also at Kimberly-Clark Lakeview plant. And then she retired again! She had many hobbies-she loved decorating wedding cakes, collecting dolls and gardening. She also loved traveling which included many countries around the world. She traveled to the Czech Republic and Slovakia many times to visit her relatives. Bessie and Irvin also enjoyed spending time at their cottage on Lily Lake. Bessie was a member of Martin Luther Ev. Lutheran Church in Neenah, was a former 4-H leader in Little Chicago and was a member of the D.A.V. Auxiliary of Neenah/Menasha. Survivors include her children, two daughters: Gertrude Trudy (Dennis Red ) DeKarske, Neenah and Barbara (late Russell) Gmeiner, Menasha; daughter-in-law, Cheryl Schweitzer, Sussex; eight grandchildren: Melissa (Ken) Verstegen, Appleton, Melanie (Dr. Tom) Siegel, Mayville, Kerri (Scott) Castle, Sussex, Gregory (Lynda) Gmeiner, Hortonville, Kim (Tom) Blazek, Germantown, Suzanne (Dan) Blohm, Menasha, Kelli Schweitzer and Karol (Ryan) Rogers, all of Sussex; eleven great-grandchildren: Kendra and Kade Verstegen, Avalyn and Haven Siegel, Lauren, Larissa and Leslie Castle, Andrew and Nicholas Gmeiner, Corbin Blohm, and Bryce Rogers; her godchild, Sally Sell, Neenah, and sister-in-law, Eleanor Spiegl, Antigo. She was preceded in death by her husband, Irvin, son, Jerry, son-in-law, Russell Gmeiner, and sister and brothers-in-law, Ray and Emma Aulik and Paul Spiegl. The Funeral Service for Bessie will be Saturday, January 1, 2011, 2:00 p.m., at Martin Luther Ev. Lutheran Church, with Rev. Richard I. Krahn II officiating. Visitation will begin at 12:00 p.m. Saturday until the hour of the service at the church. Inurnment will be in the Shrine of Heaven Mausoleum, Neenah. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Bessies honor may be sent to Martin Luther Church, 436 So. Lake St., Neenah, 54956, or to the charity of your choice. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Valley VNA where Bessie resided for eight years.