Margaret Kathryn Fahrenholz

FAHRENHOLZ, MARGARET
Appleton

Margaret Kathryn Fahrenholz, 97, died peacefully on Thursday morning, February 4, 2010, at Rennes Health Care Center in Appleton.
Margaret was born on June 25, 1912, in Milwaukee Wisconsin, the daughter of Charles Edward Woida and Pauline Baranski Woida. The fifth of six children, she was preceded in death by her brothers Edward, John, and Theodore and her sister Helen, as well as her husband of fifty years, George Henry Fahrenholz.
A 1929 graduate of Milwaukee's Bay View High School in 1929 Margaret married George Fahrenholz in Milwaukee on April 1, 1939, and spent much of her married adult life living in Joliet, Illinois, where she and George designed and built their own house in the Cherry Hill subdivision in 1953. Active in the Will County, Illinois Farm Bureau, she was a skilled seamstress, and constructed garments ranging from women's coats to ornate doll clothes.

Margaret was a bookkeeper and expert typist for various departments in the Joliet Township High School district. She enjoyed the extensive network of friends she developed over the years in Joliet and was known for her love of reading, fashion, good grooming, and talent for hosting guests and parties. She especially enjoyed entertaining and cooking for family and friends.
After retirement, Margaret and her husband moved permanently to their second home on Squaw Lake in northern Wisconsin near Lac du Flambeau, where she continued to enjoy entertaining, the north woods landscape, and the culinary and domestic arts. She was famous for her raspberry jams and jellies, which she gave as holiday gifts.
Always fond of the company of children, Margaret was also known for her storytelling, which she used to entertain and distract her children and grandchildren. Her memorable stories featured pairs of woodland and aquatic animals extricating themselves from amusing and dangerous situations.
Margaret was very proud to be part of what is known as “The Greatest Generation,” which endured the Great Depression and World War II. The qualities associated with this generation were also her hallmarks, particularly courage, stoicism, and resourcefulness .
Margaret is survived by a sister, Grace Rehfeld, of Milwaukee; her children, Thomas (Vicki) of Los Gatos, California; Richard (Lori) of Appleton, Wisconsin, and Sally Fahrenholz of Cleveland Heights, Ohio; seven grandchildren: Ben, Sam, Kristin, Sara, Kurt, Margaret, and George; and four great grandchildren: Ava, Lucy, Jed, and Jack.
A private family memorial service will be held at a later date. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her memory to the St. Jude Shrine, 512 W. Saratoga St., Baltimore, MD 21201.
The family would like to express a special thank you to the entire staff at Rennes Health Center for the kind and loving care that our mother received during her years there.

Wichmann Funeral Home
537 N. Superior Street
Appleton 920-739-1231
Online condolences
www.wichmannfargo.com