Marjorie Anna Forbeck

Marjorie Anna Schmidt Forbeck left this world on Saturday, November 28, 2020 to be with her Savior. She was born in the Town of Osborn on December 27, 1924 to Elsie (Willenkamp) and William Schmidt. She leaves behind a large and loving circle of family, relatives and friends who will always remember her fondly, and rejoice with her celebration in heaven.

Marge was a hardworking, generous person who loved her rural upbringing and was proud to have spent so much of her life on farms. Her story is unique in some ways and in other ways she embodied that time in America when all that anyone needed was to have the love of family and friends, play some cards and listen and dance to polka music.

She became a member of St. Peter Lutheran Church on French Road in Freedom when she married her first husband, Lester A. Forbeck on August 27, 1943. Together Les and Marge had three children, but Les passed away suddenly from a kidney ailment on July 14, 1948 at the age of 27. Marge showed her grit and determination by forging ahead. God blessed the family with Les’ brother Raymond who married Marge on October 15, 1949. Ray and Marge had four more children, all of whom bear the Forbeck name; two fathers but one family.

It would be easy to ramble on and on about all the things that Marge has done and all the lives that she has touched. What’s good to reflect on is what she’s never done. She never doubted that she was one of God’s children, or that he was in control of all things. When she lost Les with two little ones at home and had not shared the news with anyone that a third child was on the way, she knew God held her in his hands. She never complained about how life was unfair, and that much of her golden years were occupied with caring for Ray, who developed Alzheimer’s in his late 60’s and left us in October 1998. She never complained that while he was living in Colony Oaks Care Facility in Appleton, she developed colon cancer and fought that courageously for a year. She was cancer free for almost the last 25 years of her life, and she owed it all to the God who provided for all things, and family and friends who loved her completely.

Marge is survived by her family: daughters Judy (Jerry) Smits and Rhonda (Tom) Dietzler, sons Denny (Ellyn) Forbeck, Dewy (Kathy) Forbeck, Doug (Jeanne) Forbeck, Dean (Martie) Forbeck, Dave (friend Lynn) Forbeck; grandchildren Dawn (Paul) Buxton, Tera (Ben) Ramig, Tracy (Norm) Austin, Lee (Casey Bodenheimer) Forbeck, Brian (Ashley) Forbeck, Megan Forbeck, Joseph Forbeck, Andrew Forbeck, Christopher (Samantha Piontek) Forbeck, Melanie (Joel) Neujahr, Zack (Christi) Dietzler and Nathan Forbeck. She is also survived by seven great grandchildren: Renee (Buxton) Jaeger, Carter Anthes, Andrew, Christopher and Sarah Ramig, Jakob Austin and Naomi Neujahr; one great-great granddaughter Ryleigh Jaeger. She is further survived by her sister Dorothy (Norman) Reitz, brothers Don (Julie) Wendt and Delbert Wendt, and many nieces and nephews.

Marge was preceded in death by her husbands Les and Ray, her grandsons, Jim Smits and Jason Forbeck, granddaughter Lyncoln Forbeck, and great granddaughter, Angela Ramig, her parents, and her stepfather, William A. Wendt, Ray and Les’ parents Ted and Ella (Uhlenbrauck) Forbeck, her sisters Eleanor (Carl) Werner, Eunice (Harold) Scheibe, and brother William Wendt, Jr.

She was blessed in this life with a huge circle of friends and people with whom she connected on so many levels. Her family is deeply grateful to Rhonda Pingel and all the staff for the wonderful care that she received at Care Partners in Appleton, where she spent the final three years of her life, as well as Compassion Hospice Care. The family also sends heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all the great circle of friends from the St. Peter Lutheran family who were continually visiting, calling, sending her cards and gifts, and checking on her wellbeing.

Funeral services will be held at St. Peter Lutheran Church, N2740 French Road, Freedom, WI. Visitation will take place in church from 11:00 AM to 12:45 PM on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, with the funeral service following at 1:00 PM. Pastor James Fleming will be officiating. Burial will take place in Community Lutheran Cemetery, Freedom, WI. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting memorial gifts to St. Peter Lutheran Church. The family is also thankful to Verkuillen-Van Deurzen Funeral Home for their assistance with funeral arrangements. The funeral will be live streamed at: http://tiny.cc/MargeForbeckFuneral. All social distancing protocols are being observed, we do request that everyone wear a mask.

She has fought the good fight and won the race. All who knew her loved her and will remember her.

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