Obit: Raatz, Laurie A. #2 (1960 - 2013)

Contact: Robert Lipprandt
bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Bores, Calverley, Chelmo, Cherwinka, DeVore, Didier, Downer, Duvall, Ewald, Frey, Hackel, McCabe, Murphy, Perez-Garcia, Raatz, Schmidt, Schotz, Siegman, Weix, Wuethrich

----Source: The Star News (Medford, WI) 08/23/2013

Raatz, Laurie A. (Weix) (25 FEB 1960 - 17 AUG 2013)

Laurie A. Raatz, 53, of Abbotsford, passed away on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2013, at the House of the Dove in Marshfield.

Laurie was born on February 25, 1960 to Henry M. and Mary L. (Downer) Weix.

Laurie graduated from Abbotsford High School in 1978. After graduation, she moved to Washington, D.C., to work for the FBI. She was employed there for a year, and moved back home due to complications of her mother having knee surgery. She then went to work for her parents at H&M Furniture and Spring Crest Draperies.

Laurie married the love of her life on November 8, 1980 at St. Bernard Catholic Church. Otto and Laurie purchased Spring Crest Draperies in 1992. Laurie was very proud of being the owner of Spring Crest Draperies and it was always her goal to make her customers happy. She was especially proud to be working for AIG Travel Guard in sales. Her most pleasurable times, though, were being municipal judge. It allowed her to help people and to help juveniles with truancy issues.

Laurie was very active in her community. She was always a kind, caring and compassionate person. She was a longtime member of St. Bernard Catholic Church in Abbotsford and served as president of the Housing Authority of Abbotsford.

Laurie had a natural talent for music. She played organ and piano for St. Bernard Catholic Church for 28 years and she also played the trumpet, clarinet and flute. Her talents were beautiful and she often talked of becoming an orchestra director. Laurie also went back to school for associate's in medical transcriptionist. In her free time, Laurie enjoyed watching her birds, gardening and tending to her flowers. She especially loved her children and grandchildren.

Laurie was diagnosed with stage four endometrial carcinosarcoma in February 2013, and it was a fast-moving and aggressive cancer. She fought very hard for her family. Despite her diagnosis, Laurie had a positive attitude on life and did not let the cancer get her down. She wore fashionable hats with style flashed her "sparkly" smile and shared her journey with others through a personal blog. Laurie lost her battle to cancer, but her will power will forever be remembered.

Laurie is lovingly survived by her husband, Otto Raatz of Abbotsford, and three children, Heather (Chad DeVore) Calverley of Wisconsin Rapids, Crystal (Andrew) Wuethrich of Marshfield and Michael (Lynnea Chelmo) Raatz of Abbotsford. She is further survived by six grandchildren, Evan Calverley of Wisconsin Rapids, Kaeden Siegman of Kronenwetter, Alexander Wuethrich of Marshfield, Julianna Wuethrich of Marshfield, Malakai Didier of Marshfield and Tristyn Didier of Marshfield; two brothers, Dennis (Sheila) Weix of Edgar and James (Bonita) Weix of Abbotsford; two sisters, Katherine (Duane) Frey of Medford and Mary Jane (Mike) of Linton, IN; three brothers-in-law, Norman (Nancy) Raatz of Appleton, Marvin (Sandy) Raatz of Harshaw and Gene (Gloria) Raatz of Sayner; two sisters-in-law, Verna (Stanley) McCabe of Kiel and Delores (Gary) Ewald of Marshfield; nieces and nephews; great-nieces and great-nephews; aunts and uncles; and cousins.

Laurie is preceded in death by her father and mother, Henry and Mary Weix, and sister-in-law, Gwendolyn Raatz.

The Raatz family would like to thank the medical teams of both St. Joseph's Hospital and Marshfield Clinic, specifically the staff on the eighth floor oncology and fourth floor palliative care unit. The family would also like to thank the staff at the House of the Dove for their care in her final days. Special thanks to Dr. Bseiso, oncologist, and his medical assistant, Tina, at Marshfield Clinic.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 21 at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Abbotsford. Father Dan Hackel will officiate. Pallbearers are Brenda Duvall, Bonnie Cherwinka, Rhonda Schotz, Tammy Schmidt, Mike Murphy representing Lisa Perez-Garcia and Michele Murphy, and Christine Bores. Burial will follow at the Abbotsford Public Cemetery.

Friends may call or visit from 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20 at the Maurina Schilling Funeral Home in Abbotsford and again from 9 a.m. until the time of service at St. Bernard Catholic Church. A parish prayer service, followed by a rosary service, will be at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the funeral home.