Mary Ann Berger's Obituary
Mary Ann Berger, age 97, of Oshkosh, passed away on Friday morning, April 24, 2015 at the Bethel Home. She was born on October 27, 1917, a daughter of the late Theodore and Anna (Ruedinger) Metzen. She married Leonard Frank Berger on June 18, 1949 in Oshkosh. Leonard preceded her in death on July 4, 1995. The couple had four sons; Eric, Kurt, William and Lawrence. Mary Ann had two sisters, Florence (Harry) McFarlane and Elinor (Robert) Mathe and two brothers, Norbert (Esther) Metzen and Alois Metzen, all deceased. She grew up in Oshkosh and graduated from Oshkosh High School in 1936. She attended and graduated from Oshkosh State Teachers College in 1940. Mary Ann had a life-long love of teaching the primary grades. Early in her career she taught for a short time in Woodruff and Three Lakes, WI. After moving back home, she substituted or taught full-time for 41 years in the public and private Oshkosh School System. She retired from her last active assignment at Merrill Elementary School in 1981. She was an avid reader and right up to the end could complete the daily crossword puzzle in almost record time. She could often beat the most formidable opponents at that favorite Wisconsin game of cribbage and over her lifetime created many wonderful gifts for her family with her skilled knitting and quilting expertise. She loved the Wisconsin north woods and while the family was growing up they frequently vacationed in the region. In later years, she often spent time in the family cabin near Eagle River, WI. She was a member of St. Jude Catholic Church (St. Vincent Catholic Church) in Oshkosh. She is survived by and her memory will be cherished by three sons, Eric, (Kathy) Berger of Indianapolis, IN, William (Mary) Berger Sr. of Neenah, and Lawrence Berger of Oshkosh. Her second eldest son Kurt, (Chris), passed away on December 6, 1996. She had 10 grandchildren; Erin (Ed) Conder, Laura (Michael) Kroll, Andrea (Neal) Teschendorf, Shannon (Jason) Desrosiers, Brandon, Katie (Mike) Heidke, William Jr., Bradley (Renee), Emily and Casey Berger; eight great-grandchildren, Julia, Megan, Kurt, Alex, James, Caiden, Conner and Rylee. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated for Mary Ann on Monday, April 27, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in St. Jude Parish, St. Vincent Catholic Church, the corner of Oregon St. and W. South Park Ave. in Oshkosh. The Rev. William VanDeKreeke as celebrant. Burial will follow in Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery. A time of visitation will be held at the church on Monday from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass. In lieu of floral expressions a memorial fund will be established. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the:
Fiss & Bills-Poklasny Funeral Homes
Oshkosh
920-235-1170
www.fissbillspoklasny.com
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