Neuzil, Ethel "Ethie" (Blong)1932 - 2022

NEUZIL, BLONG, SETTER, SIMON, LOFTUS, GOLKA, OWEN, CACCAMO, HALAI, FORDE, RYANT, BOYD, WITT, WEIST, STAFANIK, NICHOLAUS, ROTHMEYER, BALES, BRANDT

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 12/30/2022 at 12:55:14

Ethel “Ethie” Neuzil, age 90, passed away peacefully on Dec. 21, 2022, at Wellington Place in Decorah with her husband Dan and daughter Lori by her side.

Mass of Christian burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, December 30, 2022 (Dan & Ethie’s 69th wedding anniversary) at St. John’s Catholic Church, 201 Oak Street in Fort Atkinson, IA with Rev. Daniel Knipper presiding. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 29, 2022, at the Helms Funeral Home Chekal Chapel, 201 Main Street in Fort Atkinson, IA and from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service on Friday at the church.

Ethel Blong was born Dec. 14, 1932, in St. Lucas, IA, the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Setter) Blong. She graduated from St. Luke’s High School and later worked at the family Feed Mill as a bookkeeper. On Dec. 30, 1953, she married Dan W. Neuzil and they lived in a home outside of Fort Atkinson (by the railroad tracks!) where they raised their nine children, Steve, Terri, Jeanne, Lori, Deb, Joe, Danny, Kay and Jamie.

If raising nine children wasn’t enough of a job, Ethie worked at several places throughout her life, including St. Johns school, the Highway Grill, The Fort, Nor-Eg, Graphics, Kwik Star, The Boat in Marquette, and as a greeter at Walmart. Ethie was always on the go, a cup of coffee in hand. She carried a pen and paper with her so in her down time could send a note and a $5 bill or lottery ticket to one of the kids or grandkids she was thinking about.

Ethie was an avid bingo player, bowler, horseshoe player and card shark; she especially enjoyed playing Canasta with her daughters, mother and sisters. She never failed to finish the daily crossword puzzle in the Gazette, often falling asleep at the kitchen table waiting up late for her kids to come home. She enjoyed playing word games and card games with her husband, kids and grandkids. She was an avid picture taker at all of the family gatherings. The family joke is that she managed to always chop the head off of someone in her photos! She wrote on the back of each picture, so we can always relive the moments she captured and see her beautiful handwriting.

Ethie was well known throughout the community, and she touched many lives in her 90 years through her volunteer efforts at St. John Church Ladies Guild, the American Legion Auxiliary, the Foresters, and as a Den Mother for the Cub Scouts. Ethie was a woman of great faith, and she prayed the rosary regularly. Her home was always an open door for relatives and her children’s friends. She and Dan were part of a card club for many years. They hosted “weenie roasts”, played horseshoes and went camping with their kids in a pop-up camper that Dan resurrected and lovingly “fixed up” from the Oelwein tornado of 1968. She had a huge vegetable garden and potato patch, which she tended with the help of her children. A lovely row of fuchsia peonies bordered her garden.

Ethie is survived by her husband Dan, children Terri (Ed) Simon Montrose, CO, Jeanne Loftus Lawler, IA, Lori (Mike) Golka Calmar, IA, Deb (Dave) Owen Hiawatha, IA, Joe Neuzil Fort Atkinson, IA, Danny (Samantha) Neuzil Spring Grove, MN, Kay (Todd) Caccamo Chagrin Falls, OH and Jamie Neuzil, Fort Atkinson, IA; 13 Grandchildren, Jennifer (Sameer) Halai, Nick Simon, Patrick (Becca) Simon, Drew Loftus, Karissa (Jon) Forde, Cory (Lindy) Ryant, Amanda (Gordon) Boyd, Michaela Neuzil, Carter and Dominic Caccamo, Taylor Neuzil and Jordan Witt; 9 Great Grandchildren, Alex, Landry and Sebastian Forde, Tenley and Jack Ryant, Finlay and Arran Boyd and twins Kaleb and Kabir Halai; sister Vera Wiest, Decorah, IA, brother John (Marsha) Blong, Lady Lake, FL, brother-in-law Norbert (Ione) Neuzil, Decorah, IA, sister-in-law Irene Stefanik, Wheeling, IL as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins that she took time to keep in touch and spend time with over the years.

Ethie is preceded in death by her parents John and Elizabeth Blong, Father and Mother in-law Frank and Julia Neuzil, son Nitty (Lynn) Neuzil, grandson Rob Loftus, siblings Marcella (George) Nicolaus, Art Blong, Helen (Donnie) Rothmeyer, Don (Lorsie) Blong and Herbert Blong, brother-in-law Bernard (Marie) Neuzil, sister-in-law Julia Bales/Brandt (Jack Bales & Kenny Brandt) and brother-in-law Clarence Wiest.

Source: Helms Funeral Home database

St. John's Cemetery
 

Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Jeff Getchell.
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