C. Jean Burmeister, age 92, Athens, WI, peacefully passed away into her loving saviors arms on April 10, 2018 at Medical City Hospital in Lewisville, TX under comfort and hospice care.
Jean was born July 24, 1925 in Chicago, IL to the late John & Pearl (Gardner) Grace. The Grace family moved to Cassopolis, MI when Jean was a child and she graduated from Cassopolis
High School in 1941. In 1947 she moved to Seattle, WA and finally in 1960 she moved to Marathon, WI and later Athens, WI where she resided until her passing. In Feb 1961 she married
Martin Burmeister who preceded her in death on June 3, 2008.
Jean worked as a secretary for several companies in her younger years, at JCPenney’s as a sales clerk, and owned and operated The Wayside Inn in Athens in the 1970’s and 1980’s
before retiring.
Jean loved to read, garden, crochet, play cards, watch old western’s, listen to the Athens’ Old Timers Band, and most of all treasured the time spent with family and loved to talk about her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She also self-taught herself to play the accordion as an adult and could yodel well. She looked forward to every event she was invited to and would often arrive early as she couldn’t wait for it to start.
Survivors include, her children, Edward Burkett, Lewisville, TX; Celina (Mayward) Schmidt, Merrill; and James (Kathy) Dodson, Plover; Grandchildren, Carrie (Rick) Uhlig, Christy Gresens, Casey (Laura) Burkett, Brian (Mandy) Schmidt, Duane Schmidt, Denise (Terry) Witter, Matthew Schmidt, Christopher (Tiffany Krenz) Schmidt, Mike (Nancy) Dodson, Troy (Karin) Dodson, Maria (Rory)
Leszczynski, Travis (Morgan) Dodson, Erin (Jeremy) Updike, Scott Bahrke & Michael Bahrke; 29 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
Besides her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers; Robert and Virgil Grace; a sister, Veona Jones; a brother-in-law, Herb Jones; and two sisters-in-law, Juanita and Beverly Grace.
Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 12, 2018 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 301 Elm Street, Athens, WI. The Rev. Mark Schwalenberg will officiate. Visitation will be Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of services at the church.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to everyone in Athens that helped Mom out and looked after her when we were not able to. We specifically thank Officer Aaron Stencil for taking the time to visit and check in on her, Hartman’s IGA for delivering food to her home, Dorothy “Bitsy” Ewan and Lucy Lochen for taking her places and being good friends and Brian Pempek for taking care of her lawn and other tasks.
She truly loved the people and community of Athens.