Ardene Weyenberg

No doubt there are celebrations occurring in heaven including hugging, laughing, harmonizing and playing Sheepshead.  That is because our wonderful loving, kind, caring, and fun Mom (Ardene Plamann Weyenberg), formerly of Freedom, went into her heavenly father’s arms on July 10, 2018 after suffering a stroke at St. Paul’s Home in Kaukauna, where she resided for 11 years.  She was 94 years young, was born December 14, 1923 to the late George and Hulda (Springstroh) Plamann and married Dad (Clyde) on July 18, 1942.  He preceded her in death on May 9, 2009.

Mom graduated from Freedom High School in 1941, married Dad and he was drafted into the Army Air Force in 1943.  When he left, Mom and Sharon (10 days old) went to live with Mom’s mother and father in Appleton.  A few years after Dad returned from war in November of 1945, they moved to Freedom and Mom was a stay-at-home Mom for years while Dad had a canned milk route. Mom was not afraid of hard work.  She worked at a bakery when Dad was at war, later worked at Zwicker Knitting Mill and shared the responsibility of running the Freedom Bowling Alley and the VFW Tavern with Dad for many years.  Many great times were had while running the bowling alley and VFW and life-long memories and friendships were developed. There are so many fun and great stories that can be told about those times. Mom ended the last 20 years of her career as a secretary at Freedom Elementary School.  

Mom was active in her church and with the Freedom VFW Post 7952.  She was the first president of the Freedom VFW Auxiliary. In years to follow, she also held secretary and treasurer positions as well as working on numerous projects to help raise money for the organization.  She was also a member of the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Ladies Aid and truly enjoyed the many years of being active with this special group of ladies.

Mom is survived by her two daughters Sharon (Jim) Greiner and Diane (Ernie) Johnson; five grandchildren Jeff (Stacey) Greiner, Jill (Dick) Vosters, Tina (Steve) Van Rossum, Greg (Megan) Vande Wettering and Tami Skenandore.  She is also survived by 14 great grandchildren – Dylan, Emily and Alivia, Samantha, Adam and Leah, Cody, Abby and Ben, Brad, Jenna and Megan and Jalyn and Devon.  She is further survived by her brother, Duke Plamann, and brother-in-law Gene Stephani.   

She was preceded in death by Dad, her mother and father, her siblings Melv, Shorty, Leola, Sally, Bernice and Lois.  Many in-laws also preceded her including her father and mother in-law, Jane and John Weyenberg, along with in-laws Virginia, Millie, George, Bob, Bill and Char on her side of the family and Ray and Ev, Polly and Gene, Merv and Myrtle, Martha and Ted, Irene and Al, Dorothy and Lee, and Orville and Marge on Dad’s side of the family.

In August of 2007, Mom and Dad moved into St. Paul’s and it was a fabulous new home for them.  Thanks goes out to the numerous employees who cared for and loved her. For Mom, there was no better place to live the last phase of her life prior to joining the good Lord.  

Visitation will be at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church at N2740 French Road in Appleton on Monday, July 16th.  Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the service at 11:00 a.m.  There will be luncheon following the service with the burial ceremony at 2:00 p.m. at Highland Memorial Mausoleum.     

We would like to thank everyone at St. Paul’s who treated Mom like a queen and special thanks to Linda Nieves and Deacon Don Newhouse who were definitely Mom’s earthly guardian angels while she was at St. Paul’s. 

Mom was the best wife, mom, grandma, great-grandma, sister, aunt, friend and the most gracious child of God.  We know she is with Jesus in Heaven and look forward to the day we will reunite.  

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.