Obituaries

Joyce Marie Evans - 1953-2025 Joyce Marie Evans, age 72, born in Milwaukee, WI beloved second born daughter of Earl Evans and Annie Ruth Evans. Attended Milwaukee Public Schools and graduated from Lincoln High School class of 1968 at the age of 15. She advanced her education by attending UW-Whitewater. Joyce received her Registered Nursing degree while living in Florida. Registered Nurse for more than three decades- every nurse - we all called her for medical advice and diagnosis. She really enjoyed her career and devoted her free time to studying and researching chemistry, medicine, biology and much more. She enjoyed politics. Traveling to Paris each March for several years. Joyce enjoyed reading, studying and listening to music, especially Diana Ross and The Supremes Joyce spent most of her nursing career working in Washington D.C. as a private duty nurse for many patients, at Walter Reed Hospital and Washington Medical Center. Though she never had children of her own, she treasured every moment spent with her nieces and nephews. She took them on trips, introduced them to new ideas, and taught them subjects she loved—especially science, math, and current events. Joyce often assigned them newspaper articles to read, chapters from textbooks to study, and even summer homework. She wanted to make sure they could read, write, think critically, and hold their own in any conversation. Devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend. She will be missed.

James Francis Doherty October 4, 1949 – November 15, 2025 With deep love and profound sadness, we announce the passing of James Francis Doherty , cherished husband, father, brother, and friend, who left this world on November 15, 2025, at the age of 76. A longtime resident of West Allis, Wisconsin, Jim lived a life defined by devotion—to his family, to his work, and to the people lucky enough to cross his path. Born on October 4, 1949, to James and Virginia Doherty , Jim grew up in a home filled with faith, humor, and strong bonds. He carried those values with him throughout his life. He was predeceased by his parents and by his beloved sisters, Mary and Maureen , whose memories he held close to his heart. For 43 years , Jim shared a remarkable and steadfast marriage with his wife, Sharon . Their love was a partnership built on loyalty, laughter, and unwavering support—an example to everyone around them. Together they built a home filled with warmth and welcomed their son, Jimmy , who was Jim’s pride and joy. Being a father was one of his greatest blessings, and he embraced the role with dedication, patience, and an unmistakable quiet strength. Jim is survived by his loving wife Sharon , his son Jimmy , and his brother Pat (Mary) , who will forever carry forward his memory, stories, and spirit. Also survived by many other loved relatives and friends. A man of simple joys and rich character, Jim found peace on the golf course and happiness on the water with a fishing pole in hand. Whether sinking a long putt or waiting for the next bite, he cherished the moments that reminded him to slow down, breathe, and appreciate the beauty in ordinary days. He was steady, genuine, and kind—the sort of man whose presence made life feel a little lighter. Those who knew Jim will remember his gentle heart and his quiet wisdom. His legacy is one of integrity, humility, and love—a life lived with purpose, a family cared for deeply, and a world left better because he was here.  A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at Matty’s Bar & Grille (event center) in New Berlin on Dec 7th from 11AM-3PM, where family and friends will gather to honor him, share stories, and remember the many ways he touched our lives. Though he is no longer with us, his spirit lives on in the hearts of those who loved him—and in every ripple of kindness he created along the way. May he rest in eternal peace.

In Loving Memory of Patricia Leeann Mrozek. Patricia Leeann Mrozek, age 70, of Milwaukee, passed away peacefully on November 7, 2025. She was born on January 7, 1955, in Milwaukee, the beloved daughter of Walter and Esther. Patricia was a devoted wife to Al for 54 years, a loving mother to Angie and Allan, and a proud grandmother to Aiden and Bobby. Loving step-grandmother to Phoebe. She also opened her heart as a foster mother to 24 babies, giving each child the gift of care and compassion. She dedicated her career to serving the community as a Milwaukee Police District Clerk, where her commitment and kindness touched many lives. Patricia’s legacy is one of love, generosity, and service. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered by her family, friends, and all whose lives she enriched. Family and friends will gather to honor Patricia’s memory at a service to be announced at a later date.

Peacefully entered eternal life on Thursday, November 6th, 2025, at the age of 87. Preceded in death by his beloved wife Shirley and daughter Debbie. Dear father of Brian (Cindy) Koch, Nancy (Don) Barth, Kim (Wayne) Straus, and Donna (Michael) Gundersen. Loving Grandfather of 10 and Great Grandpa “PAPA” to 18. Also survived by his brother Arnold (late Elaine) Koch, sister-in-law June Gratz, nieces, nephews and many friends. Our Dad: He accomplished so much in life, a loving Father to us five, Hales Corners Roll Over King, his multiple trips to the Indy 500 (his favorite race) and worked at Burnham Auto Salvage for over 50yrs just to name a few. He was a friend/mentor to many, with unwavering love always encouraging, providing guidance or lending a helping hand to others. Over the last few years, he loved his phone calls and drop-in visits with family and friends, always trying to stay on top of everything that was going on. HE LOVED GOSSIP! He was the world to our family and will be missed by so many. With his recent health issues, he took it one day at a time and lived each day to the fullest. He was always ready to share a story or a good joke, Pick a Number between 1 & 10........ Ohh, so close!! Forever one number off!! He is now reunited with mom, Debbie and other family and friends who preceded him in death. Rest in peace, Dad. We will miss you terribly, but you will be forever in our hearts. We would like to thank Aurora Zilber Hospice for their support and compassionate care of our dad.  Services will be private, but please consider memorial donations in Fred’s name to: St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Giving, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or Aurora Zilber Family Hospice, 1155 N. Honey Creek Pkwy., Wauwatosa, WI 53213.

Michael John Weaver, age 64 from Union Grove Wisconsin peacefully passed away from a courageous battle with brain cancer. Michael loved his family, especially his wife Claudia and their two dogs. He was a Master Certified RV technician, an accomplishment he was very proud of. Michael is survived by his wife Claudia Weaver, mother Agnes (Maureen) Weaver, brothers Ken (Jana) Weaver and Dennis (Diane) Weaver. Nieces and nephews Kaitlan Day, Wyatt Weaver, Clairissa Ace and Kia Aschauer, great nieces Harlow Day, Rowan Day, Carmen Ace and numerous other family members. He was proceeded in death by his son Freddy, his father Bill and his brother Danny. A private burial will take place at a later date.

Nelda I. Manter, 91, passed away peacefully on October 11th, 2025, with family present. She was born in Indiana, grew up on a farm, and was the first woman in her family to graduate from college, going on to earn a master’s degree in mathematics. She was employed as a math teacher in Illinois and Indiana before moving to Wisconsin, where she conducted a pre-school in her home for eleven years. Ultimately, she worked at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse as the math specialist in Student Support Services for twenty-seven years, before retiring at the age of 71. Throughout her long career, Nelda touched the lives of countless students as she expertly guided them through their difficulties with math. Nelda married her high school classmate Paul Manter. The couple relocated to Wisconsin and bought a home on Lake Neshonoc, where they raised four children. Their beautiful lakefront property was Nelda’s pride and joy. It was the scene of many summer beach parties and winter sledding/skating parties. Amazingly, Nelda didn’t learn to swim until she was an adult living at her lake home, and she then became a certified lifeguard so everyone would be safe at her beach. Nelda valued hard work, and she carried that work ethic into everything she did, especially at her church. She hosted couples club events and church family outings. She also taught Sunday School, helped with church rummage sales, led the church’s Bingo outreach, and contributed her time to numerous committees. She was very active in the Presbyterian Women organization, where she served as treasurer for many years. In her community, Nelda led Girl Scouts, hosted Cub Scout meetings, and sewed costumes for several high school theater productions. Nelda was a devoted grandmother, and one of her great delights was her grandchildren’s frequent visits for lake fun, rummage sale-ing, and Grandma’s cooking. Special favorites were her spaghetti (made from tomatoes she grew herself) and her raspberry jam (made from raspberries she grew herself). An avid gardener, Nelda maintained a large and productive garden through her 89th year; she spent many happy (and messy) days in the kitchen canning its output. Throughout her life, Nelda also doted on a few cats and numerous dogs, most especially her “favorite daughter,” a black lab named Rainbow. Nelda loved to travel, taking advantage of summers off from work by orchestrating many family camping trips throughout the U.S. When exchange student Nena’s year ended, Nelda packed the entire family up for a roadtrip to Mexico to take Nena home. After Nelda’s retirement, she and Paul traveled widely with extended family and many friends. They gathered their adult children, spouses, and families for large group vacations. Nelda loved going on cruises and visiting different locations, but her favorite place was definitely her home on Lake Neshonoc, where she lived for more than 50 years. Nelda is survived by three children and their spouses: Valerie (Bruce), Vernon (Dawn), Venitha (Jim); son-in-law, Jeff; brother Melvin (Janet), sister-in-law Nancy; seven grandchildren: Kalyn (Ryan), Kendra, Jake, Zoe, Sadie, and two others; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul, and youngest daughter, Vadrian. A memorial service will be held at the Presbyterian Church of West Salem at 3:00pm on Saturday, December 27, with pastor Dan McCurdy officiating. Visitation will be held from 2:00pm until the time of service. Memorial contributions may be given to the Presbyterian Church of West Salem, to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org), or to Breakthrough T1D (www.breakthrought1d.org).

Jeffrey L. Dufour December 5, 1959 – October 11, 2025 Jeffrey L. Dufour of Germantown, Wisconsin, passed away on October 11, 2025, at the age of 65, after a long journey with health challenges. Born in Milwaukee on December 5, 1959, Jeff was a graduate of Slinger High School and a lifelong Wisconsinite who found joy in the simple pleasures of life. Jeff had an appreciation for the beauty of his home state, often taking short, spontaneous trips to explore its towns and landscapes. One of his favorite destinations was Mickey-Lu-Bar-B-Q in Marinette, where he enjoyed not just the burgers, but the memories made along the way. Those Jeffrey left behind to cherish his memories include his five brothers, David, Michael, Thomas, and Timothy Dufour; and his two sisters: Tracy (James) Breuer and Kristine (Dale) Hendrickson. Jeff also leaves behind many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. Jeff was preceded in death by his beloved parents, Gerald and Mary (née Way) Dufour; his sister, Kelly Ciriacks Roesler; and his wife, Barbara Dufour (née Taylor), whose love and companionship he deeply missed. Though his absence leaves a void, we find comfort in knowing Jeff is finally at peace. His life was marked by resilience and strength that carried him through both joyful and challenging times. A private ceremony will be held with the family to honor Jeff’s life and legacy at a later date.

Frank Gerhartz of Milwaukee, WI was taken home to be with his Savior on October 11, 2025 after a 20-year battle with cancer. He was married to his soulmate, Susan (of West Allis, WI), for 62 years and they were still in love. They had 2 beautiful children, Richard and Kimberly. The foundation of Frank’s life was his unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. This was evident to all who knew him personally. He was an amazing husband, devoted and loving father, and also a terrific grandfather. By trade, he was an auto body repair man for 48 years, and then in semi-retirement he worked for Menards part-time. He was never lazy, always doing something. In his younger years he enjoyed playing softball, trap shooting, deer hunting, and fishing. He also really liked going pheasant hunting with his son and beloved Labrador retrievers. For relaxation he thoroughly appreciated watching Wisconsin sports with his family. He was a master of the grill, and he made the best steaks on planet earth! He attended Word of Grace Bible Church. Besides his own home, he was at church more than any other place. He thoroughly enjoyed greeting and conversing with fellow Bible believing Christians. The sound teaching at Word of Grace helped him in learning the Word of God, which then enabled him to walk by faith in his ongoing Christian life. He came from a large family, and is preceded in death by Don, Virginia, Lyle, Dorothy, Theresa, Walter, Eugene, Dennis, Kenny, and James. He is survived by, Marie, Robert, Ethel, Wayne, and Sandra. He is survived by his children, Rick (Katie) Gerhartz, and their son Isaac, and Kim (David) Schuster and their four sons Andy (Kelsey), John (Ruva), Jake, and Joe. Frank is survived by five great grandchildren, David, Josiah, Luke, Olivia, and Beau. FUNERAL SERVICE to be held Monday, November 3, 7:00 PM at… Word of Grace Bible Church 2660 So. 88 th Street West Allis, WI 53227

Sara Jean Stetter-Decker passed away peacefully on Tuesday October 7th, 2025 surrounded by her family and friends. Preceded in death by her dad Joe Stetter, son Shane Patrick Stetter-Decker and grandparents. Beloved wife of Sean Decker, mother of Katrina Dietrich, Dakota and Ellejean Stetter-Decker. Daughter of Joe and Kathi Stetter, Loving sister of Joe Stetter, Amy (Frank) Medina and Jenny Stetter. Further survived by nieces, nephews, cousins and her ex-husband Eric Dietrich who remained good friends until the end.  A celebration of life will be held at the Moose Lodge S86W21693 Janesville Rd. Muskego, WI 53150 on Sunday November 16th, 2025 from 12noon to 4pm.