Obit: Stieber, Audrey (1930 - 2013)

Contact: Robert Lipprandt
bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Cross, Eder, Gries, Hackel, Simpson, Stieber, Widra

----Source: The Tribune - Phonograph (Abbotsford, WI) 07/26/2013

Stieber, Audrey (Gries) (3 AUG 1930 - 23 JUL 2013)

Audrey (Gries) Stieber, passed away on Tuesday, July 23, 2013, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, with her family by her side. Audrey was 82.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, July 27, 2013, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Colby. Father Dan Hackel will officiate. A visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. with a Rosary at 4 p.m. on Friday, July 26, 2013, at the Maurina Schilling Funeral Home in Colby and visitation will be held on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of services at the church in Colby. Private burial will be in Saint Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Colby.

Audrey was born August 3, 1930, to Alphons and Ramona (Eder) Gries, Audrey spent the majority of her lifetime as a resident of Colby. Audrey attended Saint Mary’s school and was a 1948 graduate of Colby High School.

After a whirlwind 9 month romance Audrey married Michael Stieber on July 9, 1952, at Saint Mary’s Church in Colby. They were married for 60 years before Michael’s death in 2012.

Together they had four children, Chris, Jeff, Carol and Cathy. Audrey was a caring and supportive mom-she was a chauffeur extraordinaire, taking all four kids to orthodontic & optometrist appointments, attending almost all of their extracurricular events and was their biggest fan. She was a fun-loving individual who loved to bowl, dance, play cards, laugh and enjoyed the company of others.

Audrey received a bartender’s license at the tender age of 16 and worked tending bar at her parent’s business (Cherokee Store and Tavern). She also worked as a telephone operator on Colby’s switchboard. After her marriage she did some seasonal work packing gifts at Figi’s Cheese in Marshfield. She loved her time at Figi’s and had many fond memories of the friends she made while working there.

Audrey’s roots in the Colby community and Saint Mary’s church ran deep-they spanned four generations, beginning with her great-grandmother who was one of the earliest members of the newly founded church. She had a ferocious loyalty to her hometown. Always eager to help her community, she was a member of many service organizations: active member of Saint Mary’s Catholic Parish, VFW Ladies Auxiliary President, Saint Mary’s Home and School Association, Catholic Foresters, Girl Scout Leader, Red Cross Volunteer, and Election Poll worker.

Audrey was a living contradiction. She was just as willing to offer help to someone in need as she was unwilling to accept help for herself. She lived much of her life with a vitality rivaled only by the frailty with which it ended. She was nurturing and supportive; she was obstinate and stubborn. Audrey was loved by many people who were touched by her generosity, smile, laughter and light.

She is survived by her brother, Adrian; her children, Christine (Ronald) Cross, Jeffrey (Barbe) Stieber, Carol (Leonard) Widra, Catherine (David) Simpson; and six grandchildren, Quincy, McKenzie and Colby Stieber, Rachel and Joshua Widra and Renee Gibson.

Audrey is preceded in death by her husband, Michael; and her parents.

There is nothing Audrey enjoyed more than playing cards with her family and friends. We know she is in a better place, playing cards and laughing up a storm with the friends and family that made their way before her. We’ll miss that laughter very much.

Maurina Schilling Funeral Home of Colby is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences can be made to www.maurinaschilling.com