Obit: Waichulis, Donna D. “Dawn” (1929 - 2016)

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

Surnames: Waichulis, Kmiec, Swim, Goodman, Meier, Spaltner, Schwoch, Kowalski

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., WI) 9/21/2016

Waichulis, Donna D. “Dawn” (1 June 1929 - 15 September 2016)

Donna D. “Dawn” Waichulis, age 87, of Thorp, WI, passed away at Oakbrook Health & Rehab on Thursday, September 15, 2016. Funeral services were held at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, September 20, 2016, at St. Bernard-St. Hedwig Catholic Church in Thorp. Rev. Janusz Kowalski officiated and burial followed in New S. Hedwig’s Catholic Cemetery. Pallbearers were: Joe Waichulis III, Scott Waichulis, Scott Meier, Jason Waichulis, Kelvin Waichulis and Cody Schwoch. Visitation was held at the church on Tuesday from 11 a.m. until time of service.

Donna Dawn Swim was born on June 1, 1929, in Thorp, WI, the daughter of Harley E. and Stephennie (Kmiec) Swim, Sr. She was raised and received her education in the Thorp area and began working at Blue Moon Cheese as a teenager. Dawn was united in marriage to Joseph A. Waichulis Sr. on May 3, 1947, at St. Hedwig’s Catholic Church in Thorp. They moved to Chicago, where she worked for a short time at Spiegel’s. They returned to Thorp and took over the operation of the Waichulis farm in the Town of Withee, northeast of Thorp. Dawn was a homemaker and a farmwife, working alongside her husband Joe, until his death on April 13, 2007. She continued to reside on the farm until moving to Oakbrook Health & Rehab in December 2014.

She was a member of St. Bernard-St. Hedwig Catholic Church. Donna had many interests, but especially loved flowers, gardening, crocheting, knitting, sewing, the Green Bay Packers, and providing all of the family holiday meals throughout the years.

She will e dearly missed by her two children: Joe Jr. (Avis) Waichulis of Thorp, Margie (Dennis) Goodman of Stratford; three grandchildren: Joe(Tracy) Waichulis III of Lublin, Scott Waichulis of Altoona, Tina (Scott) Meier of Rhinelander; five great-grandchildren: Jason (Kim), Kelvin (Kayla) Naketa (Cody) Mikayla, Daniel; four great-great-grandchildren: Jaelyn, Kinsley, Masen, Jameson; two brothers: Ellery Swim of San Jose, CA, Harley Swim of Stanley, WI; several nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Donna was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Joe, Sr.; one brother: Harold Swim, and four sisters: Linda Swim, Arvalee Spaltner, Anita Swim and Beverly Swim.

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