Gretchen C. Biese

Gretchen Biese, age 84, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 15, 2010 at Parkside Care Center in Little Chute. Gretchen was born in Combined Locks on October 31, 1925, daughter of the late Nicholas and Agnes (Yingling) Lom one of the founding families of the Village of Combined Locks. She was a 1943 graduate of St. John High School in Little Chute, and on April 11, 1953, she married Robert H. Biese in Combined Locks. Gretchen enjoyed flower gardening, baking, cooking, knitting, crocheting, shopping, and spending time with her grandchildren and extended family. Gretchen was a faithful and lifelong member of St. Paul Catholic Church in Combined Locks. In her younger years, she was employed for fifteen years at Kimberly – Clark in the Research and Development Department, before leaving to raise her family. She also enjoyed bowling, camping, vacationing at Roberts Lake, and baking lamb cakes for special occasions at the church.

Gretchen is survived by her husband of fifty-seven years: Robert Biese of Combined Locks; two children: Gregory R. (Penny) Biese of Appleton and their children Cortney Biese, Matthew Biese, Cara Biese, and Michael Biese; and Mary Margaret L. (David) Eisley of Oshkosh and their children Benjamin (Elise) Eisley, Katherine (Tyler) Jandrin, Philip Eisley, Anne Eisley, and Kenneth Bruski-Eisley and his fiancée Desiree; and two great-grandchildren: Mercedes and Azailya Bruski. There are also two sisters: Betty (Glen) Aerts of Kimberly and Ione Jansen of Combined Locks; and several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Raymond Behling of Combined Locks; Dorothy Biese of Kimberly; and Grace Garvey of Freedom. She was preceded in death by several brothers and sisters: Johanna (Jack) Siegel, Alfred (Vera) Lom, Rachel (Richard) Janssen, Rodney (Helen) Lom, Barbara (Clarence) DeCoster, Lorraine (John R.) Jansen, Clifford (Mary) Lom, and Stena Behling; as well as several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Melvin Biese, Beatrice Van Epern, Therese (Eugene) Van Deurzen, Rosemary (Jack) Mulry, Lester Jansen, and Robert “Buzz” Garvey.

The funeral liturgy for Gretchen will be held at 5:00 PM on Monday, October 18, 2010 at ST. PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH, 410 E. Wallace Street in Combined Locks with Fr. Robert Vandenberg officiating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery. Friends may call directly at the church on Monday afternoon from 2:00 PM until the time of the service.

The family would like to extend their thanks to the Care Ministers from St. Paul Parish, her newfound and special friends at Parkside Care Center in Little Chute, as well as to the Heartland Hospice caregivers for their exceptional love and care they showed to Gretchen during her illness.

Jansen Fargo Funeral Home
204 E. Kimberly Avenue
Kimberly, WI 54136
920-788-6202