VIOLA (BOHNHOFF) WOESSNER
, 83, of 1001 S. Park Blvd., died Tuesday, Sept. 1, 1992 at Freeport Memorial Hospital following an extended illness. She worked at the Stephenson County Farm Bureau 15 years. She was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church and Concordia Society.
A graduate of Elizabeth High School, she attended Brown’s Business College. Born August 19, 1909 in Elizabeth, she was the daughter of Fred and Helen (Boness) Bohnhoff. She married Orville C. Woessner on March 5, 1945 in Chicago. He died November 29, 1977. Surviving are one son, Richard L. (Dolores) Woessner of Pearl City; two daughters, Peggy and Kay Woessner, both of Burbank, Calif.; and two grandsons, Roy and Paul Woessner, both of Pearl City.
Funeral service will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday in Walker Mortuary, with the Rev. Dr. Willis Schwichtenberg of Immanuel Lutheran church officiating. Burial will be in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens. There will be no visitation. A memorial fund has been established for Immanuel Lutheran Church.
Contributed by Alice Horner
HOMER W. WOLFENSBERGER
, 91, of Freeport died Thursday, January 20, 2000 at home. He was born January 1, 1909 in Lanark, to George and Mattie (Lynch) Wolfensberger. In January 1934 he married Margaret Henschen in Decatur . She died in 1937. He then married Lucille Porter – Horner August 2, 1941 in Polo. From 1941-1948 he was a manager of F. S. Companies in Jo Daviess and Grundy Counties. He then was a salesman, first selling feed and then Star barnyard equipment and then Starcraft Boats and Campers until his retirement in 1971. He was a member of Faith United Methodist Church since 1950. In the church he served as a trustee, Sunday school superintendent, Sunday school teacher and also was on the building committee. He attended many church conferences and was a delegate to the reunion of the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church in Dallas . His memberships included Rotary, Golden K. Kiwanis Club, Senior Golfing and Bowling Leagues and was a Paul Harris Fellow. He served on the Boy Scouts Committee at Faith Church . He loved fishing and enjoyed camping, traveling and spending time visiting with family and friends. Surviving are his wife; two daughters, Jane (Don) Rasmussen of Livermore, California, and Kay ( Arnold ) Giedd of Freeport; one son, Don (Monty) Wolfensberger of Arlington, Virginia; one brother, Clarence, of Sutherlin , Oregon ; three grandchildren, Robin Lamb of Livermore, Suanne Lovvorn, and Janet Giedd of Dallas and nine great-grandchildren. Preceding him in death were his parents, one sister, Helen Auman and one grandson. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Faith United Methodist Church in Freeport with the Rev. Douglas Bowden officiating. Burial will be at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens . Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at Walker Mortuary. A memorial fund has been established for Faith United Methodist Church .
Contributed by Alice Horner
LORRAINE (RAAB) WURSTER
, 38, of Stockton , died Tuesday July 21, 1998 as a result of injuries sustained in an auto accident. (Transcriber’s note: she was pronounced dead in Rockford , Winnebago County , Illinois .) A daughter of Wayne and Hazel (Bonnell) Raab, she was born December 31, 1959 in Freeport . She graduated from Stockton High School in 1978. On May 11, 1991 she and Thomas Wurster were married in Mount Carroll . She worked for Kelly-Springfield Tire Company. She had a love for animals, especially her dogs and horses, and she enjoyed spending time with her family. She also liked antiques and garage sales. Surviving are her husband; her parents of Stockton; one son, Aaron Wurster of Stockton; one daughter, Abbie Wurster of Stockton; one stepdaughter, Katie Wurster of Hollandale, Wisconsin; one brother, Brian (Teresa) Raab of Mount Carroll; four sisters, Bonnie (Jim) Kuhse of Gratiot, Wisconsin, Rhonda (Tony) Holland of DeWitt, Michigan, Darla (John) Korth of Stockton, and Tina (Randall) Adolph of Mount Carroll. Preceding her in death were her grandparents and several aunts and uncles. The funeral will be 11 a.m. Friday at Hermann Funeral Home in Stockton , with the Rev. Arthur Stees of Derinda Trinity Lutheran Church in Elizabeth officiating. Burial will be at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens . A memorial trust fund has been established for her children
Contributed by Alice Horner
HENRIETTA (LOHFF) WURTZEL
, 98, of Freeport, died Sunday, May 11, 2008, at Parkview Home.
Born March 15, 1910 in Freeport she was the daughter of Henry A. and Adela (Weiglow) Lohff. She married Robert P. Wurtzel November 22, 1933 in Freeport and he died April 4, 1983.
She and her husband, Bob, were recognized around the tri-state area as “The Magical Wurtzels” Their hobby took them from coast to coast, Cuba, Canada, and Hawaii. They shared their talents with hundreds of groups ranging from the smallest grade schoolers to nursing home residents.
A clearly memorable engagement had Henrietta performing in Cuba during the reign of Fulgencio Batista- while in the hills just miles away Castro’s insurgents were attempting to overthrow the government.
Henrietta was also known as Freeport’s first “Lady of Magic” and was a member of the national organization, “Magic Gals”.
A strong supporter of the Highland Community College, for many years she would present her scholarship to a student in person at the annual scholarship program. Each and every year when it was time to give the scholarship it seemed to have “disappeared”. But fortunately Henrietta would bring along her “magic purse” and “magic wand” which made the scholarship re-appears—much to the relief of the recipient student and delight of the audience.
She was a 1928 graduate of Freeport High School.
For ten years she was the volunteer for the Tuberculosis Association sending out the Christmas seal and recording contributions.
A member of St. John United Church of Christ she served through the years as Sunday school teacher, member of church dramatic Guild, President of Woman’s Fellowship, and past officer of Golden Agers.
Henrietta’s memberships included, being a past officer of Freeport Women’s Club, Culture Club, Y.W.C.A., 50 year member of Winneshiek Players, life member of Stephenson County Historical Society and Freeport Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.
She was the last surviving member of her family.
Funeral service will be Friday 10:30 a.m. at St. John United Church of Christ with Reverend Dr. Donnley Dutcher officiating. Burial will be in the Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens.
Visitation will be Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Walker Mortuary.
Memorials have been established for St. John United Church of Christ and the Highland Community College Foundation.
Contributed by Alice Horner - Walker Mortuary Funeral Home
ROBERT WURTZEL
, 72, 557 E. Center Street, Freeport, a well-known magician, died Monday evening at Freeport Memorial Hospital after an extended illness. (The date was April 4, 1983.) He and his wife Henrietta were recognized around the tri-state area as “The Magical Wurtzels. Their hobby took them from coast to coast, Cuba, Canada, and Hawaii. He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and served as a territorial representative and vice president for Illinois. He was also a member and board member of the Wisconsin Houdini Club. For a time he was associated with the Professional Resource Organization providing programs in three Northern Illinois counties, and an active member of the Christian Conjurers.
A 1928 graduate of Freeport High School and a graduate of Brown’s Business School, he also attended summer sessions at Elmhurst College, and graduated from the Merganthaler Typesetting School. For 14 years he was associated with the Freeport Printing Co., a commercial shop in the Henney Building. Later, he joined the production staff of the Freeport Journal Standard for 22 years until retirement on January 1, 1969.
In 1980 he was a finalist in the Colonel Sanders “Senior Citizen of the Year” award program. In October 1982 he was recognized as a Freeport “Good Neighbor” for teaching hundreds in the “Rules of the Road” program of the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program. Other memberships included the Groundhog Club, and St. John United Church of Christ, where he was a longtime member and served as youth superintendent, Sunday School teacher, and member of the Dramatic Guild. A 50-year member of the Winneshiek Theater, he was active in productions in the early years and was a past president of Freeport Toastmasters Club, and member of the YMCA “Lay” Staff, teaching golf. He was an ardent golfer from childhood, a 1952 Country Club champion and runner-up in 1930 through 1951, and won other golfing honors. He bowled on the Senior Men’s League championship team, and served as league president in 1973-1974.
Born February 2, 1911 in Freeport, he was the eldest son of Paul E. and Florence (Schroeder) Wurtzel. On November 22, 1933 he married Henrietta Lohff in Freeport. Surviving are his widow; and one brother, Arthur, of Freeport. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Service will be 1:30 p.m. Thursday at St. John’s United Church of Christ, with the Rev. Philip J. Anstedt officiating. The Rev. Robert E. Olson, “REO,” magic author and historian of Monroe, Wisconsin will perform the magicians broken wand ceremony during the service. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Walker Mortuary and from 10 a.m. Thursday at the church until the time of service. The family requests that all remembrances be directed to the memorials being established.
Contributed by Karen Fyock
MARIE (STEINER) WYSS
, age 96, of Shannon, died Sunday, July 11, 2004 at the Freeport Rehabilitation & Health Care Center. Marie was born December 1, 1907 in Exeter Township rural New Glarus, WI, daughter of Peter and Barbara (Klassy) Steiner. Marie married Oscar J. Wyss February 20, 1941 in New Glarus, WI; he preceded her in death on February 11, 2000. They had farmed in the Browntown and Lena area before retiring and moving to Monroe and then Shannon in 1988. She was a member of Salem United Church of Christ in Lena. She enjoyed gardening and growing flowers. She loved sharing her cooking, canning and baking with family and friends.
Marie's family includes two daughters, Judith (Merek) Bastian of Shannon, and Ruth (Albert) Thede of Shannon; three grandchildren, Jason (Dawn) Thede of Freeport, Debra Bastian of Buffalo Grove, and Joy (Bradley) Lott of Tampa, FL; three great grandchildren, Jake Robert Thede and Bailey Leigh Thede of Freeport, and Olivia Paige Lott of Tampa, FL. Her parents, husband, and two sisters, Elizabeth Altmann and Barbara Stauffacher, three neices and a nephew precede Marie in death. Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 14, 2004 in the Chapel of Peace at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Freeport, preceded by a visitation starting at 10:30 a.m. Visitation will be from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday at the Hermann Funeral Home in Shannon. A memorial fund has been established for the Salem United Church of Christ.
Contributed by Lori Gilbert