Mabel Retz

10 - 11 a.m., Thursday, February 2, 2012 at St. John's Lutheran Church; 804 St. John's Street; Boycevill, WI 54725

11 a.m., Thursday, February 2, 2012 at St. John's Lutheran Church; 804 St. John's Street; Boycevill, WI 54725

Mabel Ruth Retz, 99, formerly of the Romeis Apartments, Chippewa Falls, died Sunday, January 29, 2012 at the St. Croix Health Center in New Richmond.

She was born July 3, 1913, to Liszt (Schultz) and Robert H. Retz in the township of Hay River, Dunn County, where she grew up. She was baptized and confirmed at St. John's Lutheran Church in Boyceville. She was a graduate of Boyceville High School and Dunn County Normal. She received her teaching degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Mabel taught grade school for ten years in Dunn and St. Croix Counties in Wisconsin.

In June, 1943 she moved to Dayton, Ohio, where she was employed by Moraine Products, Dayton Rubber Company, Spohn Public Accounting and the Dayton Art Institute.

Mabel then returned to teaching and taught fourth grade at Irving Elementary School in Dayton, Ohio for 18 years, retiring in June of 1975.

Upon her retirement, she moved to Chippewa Falls where she was an active member of Zion Lutheran Church; the Zion Lutheran Women's Society, Altar Guild, Mission Circle and LWML. In 2006, Mabel moved to Star Prairie, Wisconsin to be near family. She had been a resident of the St. Croix County Health Center in New Richmond for the past 3 years and was a member of St. Luke's Lutheran Church.

In Mabel's younger days, she was very adventurous. Her family loved to listen to stories of how she had taken flying lessons during a time when very few women did that. She was proud of her many accomplishments. Because Mabel had never married or had children of her own, her extended family became very close. They took excellent care of Mabel in her later years and they will all dearly miss her.

Survivors include: two sisters-in-law, Sidonia Boom of Beaver Dam, Leola Retz of Boyceville; many nieces and nephews, and great and great-great nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by: her parents; one sister, Elsie M. Heigeman; four brothers, Carl, Reuben, Emil and Laurence Retz; a brother-in-law, Frank Heigeman; and two sisters-in-law, Vera Retz and Margaret Retz.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, February 2, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Boyceville with the Rev. Paul Carlson,officiating. Burial will follow at Hay River Cemetery, town of Hay River, Dunn County.

Friends may call one hour prior to the service Thursday at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.

Visit pedersonvolker.com to express online condolences.

AFTERSERVICE

A funeral service for Mabel Ruth Retz, 98, formerly of Chippewa Falls, was held at 11 a.m., Thursday, February 2 at St. John's Lutheran Church, Boyceville. Pastor Paul Carlson officiated and music was provided by organist, Lee Peshaw and vocalist, Amanda Montgomery.

Interment followed in Hay River Cemetery, town of Hay River, Dunn County. Casket bearers were Mabel's nephews, Steven, Michael and Brian Jones, Franklin, Robert and David Retz.

Pederson-Volker Funeral Chapel, Chippewa Falls is serving the family.