Obit: Buttke, Donna Mae (1948 - 2015)

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

Surnames: Buttke, Hartley, Kennedy, Oldham, Waltemate, Czerwein, DeLong, Tietz, Shulka, Johnson, Bjerke

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/24/2015

Buttke, Donna Mae (27 May 1948 - 22 June 2015)

Donna M. Buttke, 67, of Neillsville died Monday, June 22, 2015, at her residence following a brief illness.

Donna Mae Kennedy was born May 27, 1948, in Viroqua, the daughter of Forest and Ruby (Hartley) Kennedy. She was united in marriage to Wesley A. Buttke Oct. 22, 1966, in Alma Center. After marriage they lived in West Allis, Alma Center, Merrillan and Greenwood before moving to Neillsville in 1978. In March of 2002, they opened Donna’s Cozy Kitchen. Donna owned and operated the restaurant until 2008, when they sold it to their daughter, Sherlene.

In her leisure time, she enjoyed cooking and baking cookies, cakes and fudge, and she enjoyed going ou to eat.

She is survived by two children, Sherlene (Rick) Oldham of Neillsville and Renee (Roger) Waltemate; seven grandchildren: Christopher (Rebecca) Oldham, Courtney (Michael) Czerwein, Brittany Waltemate, Zachary Waltemate, Jacob Waltemate, Ryan Waltemate and Blake Peterson; eight great-grandchildren: Logan Oldham, Landon Oldham, Trevor Oldham, Scott Waltemate, Bailey Waltemate, Felicity Oldham, Roran Oldham and Shane Waltemate; a significant other, Larry DeLong of Neillsville; two sisters, Bonnie (Richard) Tietz of Watertown and Ella Shulka of Lake Geneva.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Wesley; a daughter, Vickie; two brothers: Luther and Wesley “Bud”; and four sisters: Iola, Glenny, Sandy and Janice.

Funeral services for Donna will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 25, at the Gesche Funeral Home in Neillsville. Pastor Douglas Bjerke will officiate. Interment will be in the Neillsville City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday at the Gesche Funeral Home.

Casket bearers are Christopher Oldham, Logan Oldham, Michael Czerwein, Zachary Waltemate, Juston Johnson and Jacob Waltemate.

Online condolences may be made at www.geschefh.com.  The Gesche Funeral Home is assisting Donna’s family with funeral arrangements.