Obit: Fortuna, Christine Ann (1915 - 2013)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Fortuna, Dornik, Cerne, Smith, Gregorich, Cohara, Podrovitz

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co, WI) 10/02/2013

Fortuna, Christine Ann (3 August 1915 - 23 September 2013)

Christine A. Fortuna, 98, of Willard died at the Neillsville Retirement Community Monday, Sept. 23, 2013.

Christine Ann Cerne was born Aug. 3, 1915, in Mulberry, KS, the daughter of Michael Sr. and Louise (Dornik) Cerne. When she was a small child, her family moved to Willard, where she was raised and received her education at North Mound School. As a young lady, Christine moved to Chicago, where she worked in a hospital for a couple years. She was united in marriage to Louis Fortuna, Sr., June 9, 1945, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Willard. They, along with her brother, Joe, purchased the Lakeside Tavern at Rock Dam and ran it for a couple years. After selling the tavern, they bought the Fortuna family farm in Willard and farmed until 1965 or 1966. Christine resided in her Willard home until moving to the Neillsville Retirement Community in 2011. She was a member of of the Slovenska Druzba Club and had many interests but especially loved gardening, traveling and reading.

She will be dearly missed by her four children, Eugene (Doris) Fortuna of Weatherby Lake, MO, Donna (Doug) Smith of Chappel Hill, TX, Charlotte (Roy) Gregorich of Willard and Louie (Jill) Fortuna of Greenwood; seven grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; four step-grandchildren; 11 step-great-grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Christine was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Louis, in 1973; four brothers, Michael, Joseph, Frank and a brother in infancy; and two sisters, Stephanie Cohara and Mathilda “Tillie” Podrovitz.

A gathering of family and friends took place Saturday, Sept. 28, from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at Cuddie Funeral Home in Greenwood. Following the burial of cremains in the Willard Cemetery, a luncheon was served at the Greenwood American Legion Hall.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.cuddiefh.com.  Cuddie Funeral Home of Greenwood assisted the family with arrangements.