LUCILLE HINKFUSS

On Sunday, August 6, 2023, Lucille Catherine Hinkfuss, 82, loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend passed away at Valley VNA, Neenah, after a brief struggle with cancer and is now with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She was born November 16, 1940, in Wausau, Wi daughter of the late Michael and Anna (Lewandowski) Phillip.

Lucille spent her childhood and school-age years in Shawano, Wisconsin along with her 12 siblings, where the family owned and operated a restaurant called The L & L. She worked at the family restaurant for several years, where she met her future husband, John Hinkfuss, a frequent customer. After an adventure in California for a year, Lucille came back and married John on September 9th,1963, in Shawano. They were each other's one true love and were married for 39 years. 

Lucille and John made their home in Appleton, Wisconsin, where their family of seven lived before adding two more children to the family, a niece and nephew, whom they raised after her sister Kay's death. Then moved out to the country in Neenah, where Lucille and John started a honeybee farm and business for over 25 years. On the farm they raised chickens, pigs and had a rotating cast of kittens who lived in the old barn and were fed by Lucille each day. They also converted several acres of land into an apple orchard, raspberry patch, and a large garden, which the seven children helped weed a row a day, much to their dismay. They grew their own wheat and ground their own flour, living off the land before it was considered popular.

Lucille and John's love for bees and honey became a lifetime passion which included selling at the farmer's market and setting up a special shop in the garage where regular customers stopped to buy honey. But it was much more than a honey shop. Lucille always had a plate of freshly baked cookies and a sympathetic ear for all who visited. She used her knowledge of beekeeping to lead tours of school children and even wore a special bee costume one time! 

Lucille's smile transformed the lives of everyone she encountered. She brought gratitude and positivity to everything she did. She had a remarkable ability to connect with people, share herself and inspire that same spirit of happiness in each person she knew. Her laugh was infectious.

Lucille is survived by her five children: Todd (Dawn), John (Cathy), Brad (Anne McKenna), Kathryn (Joel) Banks, and Karl Hinkfuss; her beloved niece Laurie (Jim) Woller and beloved nephew Mike (Tiane) Gee; 14 grandchildren: Aaron and David Hinkfuss, Ethan and Spencer Banks, Noah Hinkfuss, Kate Hinkfuss, Brittany and Nicole Woller, Tyler, Jessica Wendt, Joshua, Matthew, Travis and Katherine Gee. She is further survived by her four sisters: Rosey Fierek, Ann Weller, Janice (Milton) Marquardt, and Joanne (Allen) Winkler; and brother, Michael (Joyce) Phillip, as well as many beloved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, John, who passed away 20 years ago, on January 21, 2003; her parents, and several siblings. Though Lucille felt this tremendous loss for the rest of her life after John's passing, she remained grateful for each and every person she encountered and always had a smile on her face and a kind word to say. 

A memorial service for Lucille will be 12:00 PM on Saturday, August 19th, at Westgor Funeral Home. Visitation will be held at the funeral home Saturday morning, beginning at 10:00 AM to the 12:00 PM memorial service. 

Lucille's family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Valley VNA, for all their care and compassion during her last years.