Obituaries

HENDERSON, NV–Marilyn Virginia Maher, née Olsen, passed away surrounded by family on Janu. 2, 2023 in Henderson, NV, after a brief illness. She was 71.

The family was gathered to celebrate the holidays in Nevada where she and her husband, Robert P. Maher, Sr., planned to retire. The family always looked forward to this special time of year when they shared “Maher Christmas.” This year’s celebration was significantly special as the first time in years when all could come together from across the country.

CROSS PLAINS–Louise R. Klopp passed away peacefully on Jan. 4, 2023, at her home in Cross Plains, from natural causes.

Louise is survived by her daughter, Chris; her son, Roger; her grandchildren, Hans, Fritz and Liesel; her husband’s children, Marilyn, Patricia, Judith James (Fred); and numerous other family and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter; her mother, Myrtle; her siblings, Clarence, Henrietta, Edward, Leslie, Bertha, Harold and Scott; her daughter-in-law, Suzanne; and her husband’s children, Michael and Walter Jr.

JANESVILLE–We are sad to announce that John Eugene Gorman passed away on Dec. 30, 2022, at the age of 84.

John was born in Madison on Feb. 15, 1938, son of Eugene and Delores (Appy) Gorman. 

John graduated from Madison East High School in 1956 where he was active on the wrestling team.  He went on to study entomology at UW-Madison. In 1961 he married his wife Bernice Victorian with whom he raised four children.

For most of his career, John worked as an entomologist for the USDA at the UW-Russell research labs where he further specialized in the study of honeybees. The study of insects was a lifelong passion of his that included beekeeping at home, which provided fresh honey to family and friends for many years.

MADISON–Former Cross Plains resident Sandra "Sandy" Jo Jahr, 67 of Madison, passed away in her sleep at home on Nov. 1, 2022.

Sandy was born in Madison on May 19, 1955 to Ronald Jahr and Marcella (Sanftleben) Jahr.

She attended grade school in Cross Plains, and later graduated from Middleton High School in 1973. Afterwards, Sandy went to study at Wisconsin State University-Platteville (now known as UW-Platteville).

After college studies, Sandy's first job was an accountant at American Players Theater in Spring Green for 16 years. Later on, she was employed by John Deere Financial Loans from 1996 until her retirement in 2018. After retiring, Sandy enjoyed gardening, painting, puzzles, and arts & crafts.

MIDDLETON– Judith Marie Haag (Shelby) was born in Chicago, L on July 30, 1941 to James C. and Marie Shelby. She passed away in her home in Middleton, Wisconsin with her family by her side to be with God in heaven on Dec. 22, 2022. Judi’s optimism, love, humanity, and thoughtfulness were an inspiration to all who knew her and her abiding faith in Jesus Christ never faltered.

As a five-year-old child, Judi learned to ride horses and she continued her love of riding throughout her life. She won a first-place ribbon at the Chicago Riding Stables at age seven, but her favorite riding was at a guest ranch in Montana where she wrangled horses in the mountains at the break of dawn while her husband and children slept.

MIDDLETON–Mary M. Haack (Valentine) passed away Dec. 22, 2022 at the age of 98. Mary was born February 3, 1924 in Kenosha to Bernard and Pauline Kamieniecki. She grew up in Kenosha, graduating from Kenosha High School. She was the youngest of five siblings; Sister Anne Kamieniecki, Francis Palmer, Helen Luzar, and Tony Kamieniecki, all of whom are deceased.

Mary moved to Madison after WWII following her marriage to Gerald O. Anderson in February 1942. They raised four sons. She was preceded in death by sons Bruce-age one and Jerry-age 13 and husband Gerald in 1955. She lived with her two sons, Keith, and Greg, in her Monroe Street home until 1957.

CROSS PLAINS–Dr. Stuart Wirth was born on Dec. 21, 1929, in Milwaukee to Bernard and Madeline (Steil) Wirth, the eldest of their four children. After graduation from Wauwatosa High School in 1947, he attended Marquette University and then moved on to the Marquette School of Dentistry, graduating with the class of 1955.

During his college years he met Kathleen Church, a wonderful, wise and beautiful woman whom he loved dearly. Kathleen had recently graduated from the UW-Madison in Speech Pathology, and they married in 1953. She preceded himin death after 68 years of marriage in 2020, and he was looking forward to being reunited with her.

MIDDLETON–Donald "Don" Edward Lewis, 88, passed away peacefully on Dec. 8, 2022. He was born in Madison on Feb. 16, 1934, the son of Dewey and Clara (Meier) Lewis.

Don graduated from Madison West High School in 1952 and later attended Madison Business College. He volunteered to join the United States Marine Corps from 1954-1957. After basic training in San Diego, CA. Don was stationed at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC and he also enjoyed his service time in Okinawa, Japan.

He married his High School sweetheart, Betty Jean Pyle on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, 1957, at the Memorial Church of Christ in Madison. Don worked at Webcrafters Printing Company in Madison for 39 years as a production manager and volunteered his time to the Meals on Wheels program for many years.

CROSS PLAINS–Bruce David Laufenberg, age 54, of, Cross Plains, passed away peacefully on, Aug. 16, 2022 after two-year-long battle with cancer, with his niece/goddaughter, Caitlin Hellenbrand, by his side.

He was born on Jan. 28, 1968, in Madison, the son of Ralph J. Laufenberg and his wife, Carol M. (Uselman) Laufenberg. In 1986, he graduated from Middleton High School, where he took part in Future Farmers of America (FFA). Bruce married Lori Ann Schultz on Sept. 18, 1993, in Cross Plains.

Bruce worked as a small engine mechanic for Middleton Power Center for 30-plus years. He enjoyed tractor pulling and being outdoors, whether he was hunting, camping or snowmobiling. He had the know how to fix just about anything, he was a man of many talents.

MIDDLETON–Constance "Connie" Threinen passed away on Sept. 17, 2022, at the age of 96. She was born Constance Fuller in Belmont, MA on Dec. 10, 1925, to George Minot Fuller and Emilie (Allstead) Fuller.

She was the first-born of two sisters whose family history in the area began in 1642 when Lt. Thomas Fuller emigrated from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Connie’s youth was spent in Lexington, MA, when the family moved to an elegant Tudor house designed by her namesake aunt, Constance Fuller, one of the first women architects to graduate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA.