Joyce A. Soldner

My sincere condolences to the Soldner family on Joyce’s passing. We sure had a few good times together!🙏

My deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Miss Joyce Soldner. Joyce Soldner, former educator at Lincoln School, was my 1st grade teacher in 1984-1985. For nearly 40 years, we kept in touch via handwritten letters. I fondly remember my time in Miss Soldner’s classroom, though the memories are fading. She always had the classic scratch-n-sniff stickers that I loved so much for graded papers. She helped to instill my love of reading by encouraging me and recognizing me for my efforts. She selected me for leadership roles at a time when I was uncertain about myself and needed to develop confidence. She also set healthy boundaries, as I vividly remember having to sit by the door when I violated the “three strikes and you’re out!” rule (probably for talking based on her comments in my report card). And, most importantly, I always felt loved and safe in her presence. Miss Soldner attended my high school graduation party and soon after drove me to UW Oshkosh (her alma mater) to tour the campus with me before my first year of college. When I had gathered all of my textbooks at the campus bookstore, Miss Soldner purchased all of them for me. Years later, she attended my college graduation along with her mother. When I decided to go back to school (again) to become a teacher, she cheered me on. Our letters to one another through the years were typically around holidays and birthdays but also “just because”. Miss Soldner always wrote in perfect cursive and had a lot to say. After she retired, she spent a lot of time traveling, playing the accordion at various venues, and driving through Wisconsin in search of remnants of one-room schoolhouses. She attended a one-room schoolhouse as a child and later taught at one. She used remnants of the Goebel schoolhouse she attended to create an art piece in tribute to it. I was always fascinated by her creativity and her adventures; I admired the vivacious life she lived. Having spent the last 16 years out of state, it had been a long time since I visited Miss Soldner. (Even though she’d signed her letters as “Joyce” for many years, I always referred to her as “Miss Soldner”.) In September of 2021, I saw her for the last time. Although her memory no longer allowed her to remember me, I knew my place in her life mattered. There, nailed to her treasured Goebel schoolhouse replica, was a card I had sent to her. My heart was overcome with joy and gratitude for this lifelong mentor who had so wonderfully enriched my life. My greatest hope is that she knew how much she meant to me.

Please accept our deepest condolences for your family's loss.