Obituaries are a service of Brainard Funeral Home, with locations in Wausau and Weston.
Diane Mullaley
Diane L. Mullaley, 66, of Wausau died Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019, with her husband and family at her side at Aspirus Hospice House, Wausau. Diane was born to the late Clarence and Mae (Stintzi) Seif, on Feb. 16, 1953, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She married her love and best friend, Gerald “Jerry” Mullaley in Milwaukee on Nov. 10, 1973.
Although Diane was born “a city girl,” she shared the love of the outdoors with her husband, Jerry. Together they raised a family, worked hard and walked many woodland trails. They discovered a special joy of our national and state parks, finding favorites in the Smoky Mountains, the Porcupine Mountains and Peninsula State Park.
Survivors include her husband, Jerry; son, Ryan (Jessica) Mullaley, Weston; daughter, Erin Vargo (Keith), New Castle, Pennsylvania; four grandchildren, Tristan, Carrie, Logan and Morgan; and a sister, Debra (Bill) Unger.
A Memorial and Sharing of Memories will be held at noon on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, at Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home, 1302 Sixth St., Wausau. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until noon at the funeral home. Entombment will be at Restlawn Memorial Park, Wausau.
Linda Franke
Linda Franke lived a wonderful life filled with love, laughter and faith. She generously shared her kindness and smile with the world. Her family was her greatest passion and delight. Linda left her administrative position at World Group Securities to devote the last eight years to caring for her grandchildren and loving every minute of it. As a member of Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Linda was current vice president of St. Catherine’s Council and enjoyed contributing to their many projects. She served as a Eucharistic Minister and a yearly volunteer during SummerFun.
Linda was born June 13, 1951, in Wausau to the late Anton and Elizabeth (Sekorski) Krause. On May 25, 1985, she married Vern Franke at Holy Name of Jesus Parish. They loved traveling, motorcycle riding, boating, fishing and spending time at their cabin near Park Falls. She enjoyed going for walks, cheering on the Green Bay Packers and was a voracious reader. Linda took pride in her cooking and baking and will fondly be remembered for her apple squares, carrot cake, chicken dumpling soup and so many other delicious creations.
After fighting a short but courageous battle with brain cancer, Linda passed away at Wausau Manor surrounded by her family on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019.
She is survived by her husband, Vern of Rib Mountain, daughter, Jennifer (Rick) Towne of Wausau, son, Chris (Jill) Fochs of Green Bay, four grandchildren, Colin and Aaron Towne, Allison and Paige Fochs, sister, Roseann (Ernest) Soczka of Wausau, two brothers, Robert (Kay) Krause of Edgar, Bill (Kathy) Krause of Marathon, mother-in-law, Ruth Franke of Wausau, two brothers-in-law, Dave (Lorrie) Franke of New London, Scott (Mary) Franke of Marathon and many nieces and nephews. Linda was preceded in death by her parents, brother, James Krause and father-in-law, Laverne A. Franke.
The Mass of the Resurrection will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, Sept. 9, 2019, at Holy Name of Jesus Parish, 1104 S. Ninth Ave., Wausau. Father Sam Martin will officiate. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Marathon. Visitation will be from 3:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Sunday at the Helke Funeral Home, 302 Spruce St. concluding with a 6 p.m. parish rosary service. Visitation will resume on Monday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of services at the church. You may sign our family guest book at helke.com.
The family extends their deepest gratitude to all who prayed for Linda. We would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Aspirus Hospice and Wausau Manor for their kindness and care they gave Linda and our family. Memorial contributions are appreciated in her memory to the Cancer Research Institute (cancerresearch.org/).
Jeanne Fermanich
Jeanne C. Fermanich, 81, of Mattoon died on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, at Aspirus Wausau Hospital.
She was born on Dec. 6, 1937, in Neenah, the daughter of the late Harvey and Helen (Waushesock) Kielman.
In December of 1957, Jeanne was united in marriage to Wesley Fermanich in Mattoon. The couple later divorced.
Jeanne worked at Mattoon Elementary for 37 years until her retirement. She was a member of St. Joseph Holy Family Catholic Church in Phlox where she was also a member of the St. Monica’s Society. She was an avid reader and shared books with friends and donated to local libraries. Jeanne also enjoyed baking cookies with her grandkids, crocheting, knitting and embroidery, but especially loved spending time with her family.
Jeanne is survived by her children, Debra Fermanich, Patricia Bartz, Christine (Bob) Nimz, Richard (Sandy) Fermanich and Randy (Stacy) Fermanich; grandchildren, Kara (Dan) Trelka, Molly Fermanich, Natasha, Xavier and Callista Fermanich; brother, Richard (Norma) Kielman and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Jeanne was preceded in death by her parents and a brother at birth, James Allen.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, at St. Joseph Holy Family Catholic Church, Phlox. Fr. Edmundo Siguenza, Fr. Charles Hoffmann and Deacon Tom Hartman will concelebrate. Burial will be in Holy Family Catholic Cemetery, Mattoon. Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 9 a.m. until the time of Mass at the church.
Schmidt & Schulta Funeral Home, Birnamwood, is assisting the family with funeral arrangements. Memories and messages of support may be shared at SchmidtSchulta.com.
