Obit: Spiegel, Florence Alice (1932 - 2021)

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

Surnames: Spiegel, Korth, Knoop, Bartos, Edom, Simmons, Goetz, Schoenherr

----Source: Gesche Funeral Home and Cremation (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 3/10/2021

Spiegel, Florence A. (26 January 1932 – 9 March 2021)

Florence A. Spiegel, 89, passed away peacefully at home on March 9, 2021.

Florence was born on January 26, 1932 to Frank and Alice (Korth) Knoop. She was the middle of seven children: Adeline, Robert, Ervin, Lois (surviving), Donald, and Jean (surviving).

She was preceded in death by the love of her life, Robert by one year, eleven months and nine days. She missed him every single day.

Florence and Bob eloped and were married on November 3, 1951 in Dubuque, Iowa. Their life was full of adventure and travel. They enjoyed traveling the U.S. with Gene and Leona Simmons as well as Kenny and Jean Goetz. What an adventure they had in 1977 when they and the Simmons traveled the unpaved AlCan Highway to and through Alaska. She and Bob camped and fished for many summers at Marsh Miller Lake.

Florence and Bob raised four children: Eugene (Julie Bartos), Virginia (Joe Edom), Gary, and Nancy (Mike Rosman). Florence’s seven grandchildren (Amanda, Sara, and Joshua; Jason and Jenny; and Adam and Paul) loved their Grandma. She taught them all to play cribbage and many a battle was fought over the quarter bet. Everyone knew to head first to the cookie jar for Grandma’s chocolate chip cookies. She felt blessed to have ten great-grandchildren.

Florence had a zest for life, was always optimistic, and was the first in line to try new adventures. Florence loved the Packers, playing her piano, trying new recipes, tending to her flower garden, crocheting and knitting, feeding and watching birds, and putting together Wysocki jigsaw puzzles. She was a pretty speedy driver and loved to drive through snow drifts.

She loved to decorate her home for the all the holidays, but especially Christmas. Florence looked forward to Ladies’ Fun Weekend which was held for more than twenty years on deer season opener weekend, as well as the annual family reunion in the summer. She was famous for choosing the perfect greeting card or gift for family and friends.

Florence was a competitive bowler along with her sisters Jean Goetz and Adeline Schoenherr. It would be safe to say Florence was competitive, period. She loved to out-fish Bob and took up jogging at age 55 to win the senior cross-country skiing championship at the Neillsville Winter Carnival.

Florence started school when she was four or five and never stopped reading the rest of her life. She was so bored by sixth grade country school that she was then sent to St. John’s School where she graduated as valedictorian. Florence loved to work, especially with numbers, and started at the ASCS office before she graduated from high school. Her career there was temporarily interrupted when she was encouraged to quit when expecting Eugene. She returned to fulltime work in 1966 at the Clark County Treasurer’s Office and retired in 1994 as Deputy County Clerk.

She was active for many years in St. John’s Lutheran Church, the Washburn Homemakers, the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, and served as Washburn town treasurer.

A Celebration of Life will be held this coming summer when family and friends can gather safely.

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