Barbara A. Sterr

Barbara “Barb” Ann (Feucht) Sterr, age 71, a native of Leroy, life on earth ended on May 25, 2019, when God gave her eternal rest and God’s angels carried her into his loving arms. Our mother was one in a million who came into this world on May 13, 1948, the daughter of Raymond and Bernice (Block) Feucht and baptized May 23, 1948, at St. Andrews church in Leroy. Ma was the oldest of ten children. When Ma was twelve years old, her mother went to work full time outside of the home, our mother was then given the responsibility of taking care of her nine younger siblings–preparing meals, cleaning the house, washing clothes (using a wringer washer), hanging up the clothes (no dryers then), and ironing. Ma never objected to helping her mother, who worked very hard. At age sixteen, she met her soul mate, Kenneth Sterr at a Saturday night Brownsville Fireman’s dance. From that night, they dated exclusively. On May 27, 1966, before Kenneth took Barbara to her High School graduation at Campbellsport High, he gave her an engagement ring. Barbara and Kenneth were married on November 19, 1966, at St. Martin’s Catholic church in Ashford, Fond du Lac County. Barb and Ken purchased their first residence on Cty. Hwy. HH, Brownsville in 1974. Barb, “a stay-home mother” would help Ken, who worked as a farm hand and mason, with some of the farm work (throwing down hay bales and silage for the heifers that she would feed), maintained the property, kept the family well fed year round with food from her garden, canning, freezing and always growing 1000 pounds of potatoes for her family. Ma would also make her own butter, laundry soap and sew clothes for our family. She enjoyed reading to us children, playing baseball and bicycle riding with us. In 1980, Ma reentered the workforce, becoming employed at Mayville Metal. In 1981, Ken and Barb purchased an 80-acre farm on West Iowa Road, Iron Ridge, where they resided and dairy farmed. They purchased their farm machinery at local auctions and their cows from Acker in Middleton. In 1983, Barb became employed at Maysteel in Allenton. From 1984 to 1987, while working consistent 58-hour work weeks at Maysteel and raising five children, Ma earned her Industrial Engineering Degree, and graduated in 1987 with high Honors, 3.95 G.P.A. In addition, by 1988, they had completely gutted and self-remodeled their entire three-story farmhouse. During this time, Ma enjoyed going on every one of our children’s field trips, watching us in our school concerts, plays, sports, cheerleading events and every summer when we were out of school, Ma enjoyed traveling with Ken and their children to various places within the United States. At Maysteel, Ma advanced to CNC Programming Engineer, Process Control Engineer, and Quality Engineer. In 1997, she became employed as a Manufacturing Engineer at Q.F.G. in Beaver Dam. It was at this time that Ma also started her part-time business, Sterr Engineering, specializing in AutoCAD, CAD/CAM/ and CNC programming. Barb is also the author of the novel, Skeletons in the Closet, which she self-published in 1998. In 2000, she became a Manager for DexM Corporation, managing DexM’s Waukesha and Pewaukee facilities. Barb and Ken also operated a tavern. While operating the tavern, they continued to reside on their farm. Barb would help Ken at the tavern on Friday and Saturday nights while still being employed full time–40 hours–at DexM Corporation during the day. With her business, Sterr Engineering, being well established, Barb quit at DexM Corporation in 2002 to work full time at her own business, while still maintaining part-time hours at the tavern. Barb was also the accountant and tax preparer for the farm, engineering, and tavern businesses. She was also a part-time postal carrier for Beaver Dam Post Office. Ma enjoyed flying with Ken to vacation areas, spending two or three weeks at each place. Places they vacationed were Hawaii, Oahu, Maui, Molaki, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, Italy, Sicily, Island of Capri, Germany, Greece, Greek Isles (Mykonos, Rhodes, Patmos, Crete, Santorini), Turkey, British Columbia, Yukon, and Alaska. Every year Ma still maintained a large vegetable garden and gave a lot of the produce to her children. She also enjoyed sewing for herself, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren making Baptismal, First Communion, and Graduation outfits, crocheting, embroidering, cooking for family holidays, baking, making homemade candies and cookies, attending her grandchildren’s field trips, concerts, plays, sport events, First Communions, graduations, and on their birthdays baking one of her many traditional cheesecakes. She always enjoyed attending the Buck’s games when her one granddaughter, Mariah, was a cheerleader at the games.Survivors include her husband, Kenneth of 52 years; five children, Kevin (Michele) of Mayville; Tim of Malone; Troy (Ruth Weigel-Sterr) of Madison; Roxanne (Mike) Frane of Iron Ridge; Christy (special friend, Tom) of St. Francis. Thirteen grandchildren; Kayla (Nick) Grose, Tamara (Mike) Marshall, Kenny Sterr; Brandon Sterr; Savanna A.; Kezia (Christian Constantine), Rysa, Kyanna, Malachi, Suraya Weigel-Sterr; Mariah, Mason, Serenity Frane. Eight great-grandchildren: Kendall, Trenton, Asher, Peter Marshall; Lyla, Elania, Nora, Fiona Grose. Five sisters, Sandy (Alan) Haegler of Oakfield; Karen Dueling (special friend, Frank) of Watertown; Linda (David-deceased) Gabrielson of Fond du Lac; Debbie (Bob) Beesley of Iron River; Beverly Missikian of Las Vegas; Four brothers, Raymond Feucht, Jr. of Campbellsport; Rodney (Linda) Feucht of Florida; Daniel (Donna) Feucht of Appleton; David of Campbellsport.She was preceded in death by her dad, Raymond, on May 9, 1974, and her mom, Bernice, on May 9, 2019. Her grandparents, Frank and Magdalena (Schraufnagel) Feucht, who in 1925 started Feucht Trucking in Leroy; Albert and Clara (Geschke) Block. Barbara’s paternal lineage: Magdalena Schraugnagel / John and Christina (Kiefer) Schraufnagel, Joseph and Sophia (Weiglein) Schraufnagel / Johanna and Maria (Greiner) Schraufnagel Frank Feucht / August and Philomena (Wittman) Feucht; / Johann and Magdalena (Dierwimmer) Feucht;Barbara’s maternal lineage: Clara Geschke / Charles and Maria (Wolfgram) Geschke/ Johann and Johanna (Starke) WolfgramAlbert Block / Emil and Bertha (Fischer) Block; Charles and Augusta (Ziemer) Fischer / Friedrick and Ernestine (Born) Block; A visitation for Barbara will be held at St. Andrew Catholic Church in LeRoy, WI on Thursday, May 30, 2019 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial immediately follow at the church with Rev. Fr. Tom Biersack presiding at 2 p.m. Burial will follow at St. Andrew Catholic Cemetery in LeRoy.