Obit: Aschenbrenner, Leona Margaret (1914 - 2009)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Aschenbrenner, Stoetzel, Golden, Maxam, Knoebe, Miller, Gumz, Follen, Beck, Manlick, Fredrickson, Lueders, Teletzke

----Source: Marshfield News Herald, Marshfield, Wood Co., WI, Tues., 20 Jan. 2009

Aschenbrenner, Leona Margaret (15 June 1914 - 18 Jan. 2009)

Leona M. Aschenbrenner, 94, Marshfield, quietly passed away Sun. Jan. 18, 2009, at the Marshfield Care Center.

A Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Thur. at St. John's Catholic Church, Marshfield. The Rev. Charles Stoetzel will officiate and Suzanne Golden will be the organist for St. John's Church Funeral Choir. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Auburndale, and grandchildren will serve as pallbearers. The visitation will be at 9 a.m. until the service time at St. John's Church on Thur.. Rembs' Funeral Home (300 S. Oak Ave. - Marshfield, WI) is assisting the family.

Leona Margaret Maxam was born June 15, 1914, in Plover to Merton Maxam and Susan (Knoebe) Miller. She attended school in the town of Rome and in the Arpin area. On June 1, 1935, she married Donald Wallace Aschenbrenner in Crystal Falls, Mich. The marriage was blessed at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Auburndale.

After their marriage, Leona and Donald lived for a time in Laona, where Donald was employed for Conner's Lumber and Land Company, and then in Auburndale, when he was employed at Consolidated Papers in Wisconsin Rapids. They later moved to rural Marshfield, where Donald farmed and worked union construction employment. They were members of St. Michael's Parish, Hewitt.

Upon retirement, Leona and Donald moved to Lake Van Zile near Laona, where Leona spent her time gardening and sewing handmade quilts and also tended her beautiful flowers. Leona had a special talent for sewing and baking. When company came, there was always a pie to be served, and the deer hunters always received a pot of huge dumplings to take along with them. Leona loved to read and always kept books and magazines to fill spare moments. Leona was a lifelong homemaker and provided support to the farm labor and raising their six children. In 1991, Leona and Donald returned to Marshfield and resided on Blodgett Street until 2004. Leona was a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Marshfield. The Aschenbrenners celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary June 1, 1985, at the home of their daughter, Sally Beck. They had been married for 64 years when her husband passed away July 4, 1999. Leona resided at the Marshfield Care Center for one month before her death and prior to that at the Guiding Hand Assisted Living residence in Marshfield for three years.

She is survived by her children, Sally (James) Beck of Marshfield, Donald (Mary) Aschenbrenner of Lakeville, Ind., LeRoy (Blanche) Aschenbrenner of Mishawaka, Ind., Judy (James) Manlick of St. Francis, Michael (Beverly) Aschenbrenner of Marshfield and Bonnie (Mark) Fredrickson of Junction City. She is also survived by 19 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren. She is further survived by a sister, Carol Lueders of Oregon, a brother-in-law, Hubert Aschenbrenner and friend Lillian Teletzke of Milwaukee.

She was predeceased by her parents, her husband, Donald Aschenbrenner, Sr., two sisters, Vina Gumz and Gladys Follen and a brother-in-law, Arthur Aschenbrenner.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to a fund which will be named at a later date.