Obituaries are a service of Brainard Funeral Home & Cremation Center, with locations in Wausau and Weston.
Marlene Plaisance
It is with great sadness that the family of Marlene Claire Plaisance, 83, announces her death, on May 18, at the Mountain Terrace Senior Home.
Visitation will be Tuesday evening, May 22, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Brainard Funeral Home, 5712 Memorial Court, Weston. The funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, May 23, at 11 a.m. at St. Therese Catholic Church, 113 W. Kort St., Rothschild, with a visitation from 10 a.m. until the time of service. A private burial will be held at a later date.
Marlene was born June 9, 1934, in Wausau, the eldest of six children of Stanley and Clara Skalecke. She grew up in Wausau and graduated from Wausau High School, St. Mary’s School of Nursing and Mt. Senario College. While in nursing school in Milwaukee, Marlene met Lou Plaisance, a journalism student at Marquette, and the two were married in 1956. Lou and Marlene raised their four children in Milwaukee, Bismarck, Norfolk, Dayton and Rock Island, before returning to the Wausau area in 1978.
Marlene was a loving wife, mother and grandmother, and the center of her large extended family. She was a wonderful model of living every stage of life with love, family, professionalism, faith, community, a curious and open mind, a wide range of interests and talents, an irreverent sense of humor and a great sense of fun. She committed herself to the broader Wausau community as a frequent volunteer and organizer, and as a devoted member of her church and her prayer group of 30 years, which she affectionately called the Holy Rollers. Marlene’s quilts are treasured around the country, many of them crafted with the Pine Tree Quilters. She loved biking and music, especially Christmas caroling and playing the accordion, and she and Lou helped develop the Mountain Bay Bike Trail.
Marlene worked for nearly 40 years as a nurse, in-service instructor and diabetes educator, many of them at Wausau Hospital. She helped start the Hospice House in Wausau, now part of Aspirus Hospice Services, which cared for her in her final weeks.
She is survived by her loving husband of 61 years, Louis, sons David (Kathie), Thomas (Marcie), Ric (Liz), and daughter Julie (Jim) Nesbitt, grandchildren Joshua, Jason, Emily, Camille, Adrian, Daniel, Abigail and Caitlin, five great grandchildren, brother Mike (Nancy) Skalecke, sister Mary (Terry) Noone, in-laws Susan (James) Beck, Kathy Skalecke, Jim Conrad and Kay Skalecke, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers James and Stanley, Jr., sister Patricia Conrad and grandson Jacob Nesbitt. She will be missed dearly and remembered with love by all who knew her.
In lieu of flowers, Marlene’s family has requested donations to Aspirus Hospice Services.
Lorraine Kralcik
Lorraine E. Kralcik, 95, died Friday, May 18, 2018, under the care of Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services at Mount View Care Center, Evergreen Place, Wausau. Lorraine was born December 7, 1922, in Wausau, daughter of the late Michael and Anna (Petri) Pfeffer.
She attended Fenwood Public School, was a 1939 graduate of Edgar High School and a 1941 graduate of Marathon County Teachers College. She taught seven years at area rural schools. On August 16, 1947, she married Edward Kralcik at St. Peter Lutheran Church, Fenwood. He survives.
Lorraine was a life member of St. Peter until the congregation disbanded in 2005. Afterward, Lorraine and Edward became members of St. John ELCA in Edgar. In 1952, the couple left Wausau moving to the town of Wien, operating a dairy farm until retiring in 1988. Lorraine worked at Employers Mutual Insurance Company and for 27 years at Fenwood Farm Supply. She was an avid reader, flower gardener and crocheted lap robes and afghans for area nursing homes. Lorraine was a charter member of the S.T.F. Homemakers Club.
Survivors include her husband of 71 years, Edward Kralcik; children, Sharon (Ken) Hopp and Bruce Kralcik; grandson, Josh Kralcik; great-granddaughters, Jordyn Kralcik and Haley Kralcik.
Funeral services will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday May 22, 2018, at Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home, Edgar. Rev. Gail Sowell will officiate. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. until the time of services, all at the Edgar funeral home. Burial will be in the Fenwood Cemetery on Wednesday.
Family would like to thank all the staff at Evergreen Place and Gardenside Crossing for their loving care given to Lorraine over the past three years.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family for a donation to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Association.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.petersonkraemer.com.
Janise Clark
Janise M. Clark, 82, of Birnamwood, died on Friday, May 18, 2018, at Cloverleaf Terrace in Birnamwood under the care of LeRoyer Hospice.
She was born on April 11, 1936, in Wausau, the daughter of the late Orville and Florence (Dryer) Jacobson. On September 17, 1955, Janise was united in marriage to Eugene Clark, Sr. in Hatley. He preceded her in death after 51 years of marriage on August 10, 2006.
Janise was employed by Hardware Hank, formerly Gambles, and Chet & Emils. Janise enjoyed baking and gardening, but above all she enjoyed the time spent with her family and being a grandmother. She was an active member of St. Philomena Catholic Church, including the Christian Mothers, Homemakers Club and Bible Study. She was a 4-H Leader, helped with the Community Cupboard, Festival of Trees, and enjoyed playing canasta and rummy.
She is survived by four children, Eugene (Carla) Clark, Jr. of Rothschild, Bonnie (Al) Pagryzinski of Wyoming, Kevin (Cherie) Clark of Birnamwood, and Carmen (Paul) Schreiber of Appleton; one daughter-in-law, Sandy (Win) Baron of Boulder Junction; three sisters, Irene Hahn of Rothschild, Geraldine Pape of Wisconsin Rapids and Carol (Don) Walkowski of Schofield; one sister-in-law, Darlene Jacobson of Pickeral;13 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Janise was preceded in death by her parents, husband, son, Dennis, infant son, Kenneth, and one brother, Orville Jacobson Jr.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, at St. Philomena Catholic Church in Birnamwood. Fr. Anthony Ibekwe will officiate. Interment will be in the Parish Cemetery. Visitation will be on Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with a Rosary recited at 7:30 p.m. at Schmidt & Schulta Funeral Home, Birnamwood, and again on Wednesday from 9 a.m. until the time of Mass at the church.
Memories and condolences may be shared at schmidtschulta.com or at Schmidt & Schulta Funeral Home on Facebook.
A special thank you to everyone at Cloverleaf Terrace and LeRoyer Hospice for their loving care and kind support.
