Surnames: Kocian, Dix, Talcott, Schneider, Schindler, Kaiser, Schmitt, Zera, Peterson, Fosdick, Earle, Rates, Hutchinson, Mitchell, Pest, Kruse, Lang, Redmann, Scanlon, Kunze

----Source: Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, Wood County, Wis.) Saturday, 18 Oct. 2008

Kocian, Maude M. (20 July 1919 - 16 Oct. 2008)

Abbotsford, Wis. -- Maude M. Kocian, 89, of Abbotsford, passed away Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008, in the Palliative Care Unit of Saint Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield, surrounded by her loving children and grandchildren.

Her funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 20, 2008, at the Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home in Abbotsford, Wis. The Rev. Kenneth A. Dix will officiate. Burial will follow in the Abbotsford Public Cemetery. Tom Talcott, John Schneider, Robert Kocian, Ryan Kocian, Ian Rates and Tom Schindler will serve as her pallbearers. Friends may call from 10 a.m. until time of services on Monday at the funeral home in Abbotsford, Wis.

Maude was born July 20, 1919, in the town of Hull in Marathon County to Alphonse and Gertrude (Kaiser) Schmitt. She attended Riverside Country School and graduated from the eighth grade. Following her schooling she moved to Chicago and began working as a nanny. In Chicago, she married Elmer R. Kocian on Feb. 22, 1941. Later, Maude and Elmer returned to Abbotsford for a short time. Then in 1945, they purchased a farm in the town of Hull where they both farmed until their retirement from farming in 1977. After moving back to Abbotsford, Maude and Elmer did part-time custodial work at what is now known as Mid-Wisconsin Bank in Abbotsford, Wis. They were inseparable. Her husband Elmer passed away in 1995. At the great age of 77 years old, Maude thought it was time to get a driver's license, so she did. Work was important to Maude and she continued that work ethic up to her retirement from the Tribune-Phonograph in Abbotsford, Wis. She loved her sewing and quilting as well as her flowers and gardening. She was known to enjoy a Brewers baseball game on the radio.

She is survived by her children, Dixie (Darrel) Talcott of West Salem, Connie (Dan) Earle of Santa Rosa, Calif., Randy (Sandy) Kocian of Colby, Cindy (Paul) Schneider of Plover, and Jackie (Richard) Rates of Winnebago. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Stacy (Chris) Hutchinson, Tom (Katie) Talcott, John (Rhonda) Schneider, Jill (Chris) Mitchell, Robyn (Tom) Schindler, Robert (Jenny) Kocian, Rebecca (Ryan) Pest, Ryan (special friend Brenda) Kocian, Ian (special friend Christina) Rates and Christopher Rates. Maude is further survived by her great-grandchildren, Alexis, Zachary, Adeline, Cashton, Jenna, Brennan, Sawyer, Harper, Morgan, Isabellah, Marshall, Paige and Presely. Maude is also survived by her siblings, Emery (Rita) Schmitt of Abbotsford, Mark (Delores) Schmitt of Colby, Linus (Joan) Schmitt of Wausau, Tim (Suzie) Schmitt of Owen, Naomi (Harry) Kruse of Grayslake, Ill., Mercedes Lang of Wauzeka, Germaine (Fred) Redmann of Athens, Mary Ann (Ted) Scanlon of Chicago, and Verjean Kunze of Abbotsford, Wis. Also survived by many other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; her sisters, Rita Peterson, Carmen Fosdick, Pamela Schmitt and Blanche Zera; and one brother, Roman Schmitt.