Maribeth "Betsy" "Gigi" Anne Wilfer

Betsy A. Wilfer, age 61, passed away on Monday, January 11th, with her husband, Paul of 35 years by her side after her courageous battle with cancer. Her constant strength and bravery teamed with her bright smile, love to serve and above all, loving spirit impacted everyone around her.

Betsy was born to Jerome and Mary Berenz in 1959 and grew up on Fox Lake with her 5 brothers and sisters.  After high school she moved to Appleton where she met and married her best friend on May 31, 1985.  Together they moved to Phoenix, where their daughter was born and she grew to love the desert and mountains of Arizona. In 1989, Betsy and family moved to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin and grew their family again with the birth of their son.  After two years they relocated to Appleton where she has resided ever since.   Betsy’s strong work ethic and love for people drew her to the service and retail industry. She worked a variety of positions, often more than one at a time including a school lunch mom, retail worker, freelance house cleaner and waitress for 35 years. Twenty of these were spent at George’s Steakhouse which was more than a workplace but a beloved extended family.

Being a mother and grandmother was the greatest joy of her life, anyone who knows Betsy will know she loved to share stories and photos of her precious grands! Gigi loved snuggling her grandchildren, sharing her love of books, puzzles and chocolate chip cookies. Traveling, gardening, and socializing with friends were some of her favorite activites. Her passion for giving to others was felt by all who loved her, we all will remember her strong hugs, big smiles and booming laugh.

Betsy is survived by her husband, Paul; daughter Ashley (Travis) McDonough of Appleton, son Ben of Eau Claire; 6 grandchildren, Wesley, Stella and Miles Wilfer; Brooke, Lily and Marin McDonough; Brother Bill (Vikki) Berenz of Delafield; sister, Maura (Sheldon) Boomsma of Kingsland, GA; brother, John Berenz of Appleton; and brother, Jerry Berenz of Dubuque. Betsy was preceded in death by her father and mother Jerome and Mary Berenz, and her brother, Dennis Berenz.

There will be a public funeral service for Betsy held at Christ the Rock Church in Menasha on Saturday, January 23 at 4:00.  Due to Covid-19 the service will also be live streamed and recorded, link available on Betsy’s obituary page at wichmannfuneralhomes.com

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Betsy’s name will be directed to Samaritan’s Purse, one of Betsy’s favorite charities – link can be found on the obituary page.

Betsy will be deeply missed and her loving spirit, quick wit and strong embrace will live on in all who loved her.