Mary Jane Papenfuss

Service Details

A Celebration of her life will be held in the funeral home on January 18^th, at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will be prior to the service, from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. Private entombment took place at St. Adalbert Cemetery in Milwaukee on Tuesday November 26^th.

Memorial Suggestions

Memorials have been suggested to the Salvation Army 1901 Washington Ave. Racine, WI 53403, or the Alzheimer Association Wisconsin Chapter, 620-76^th St. Milwaukee, WI 53214.

Mary Jane Papenfuss, 83, of Wind Point, passed away at Harvest Home Assisted Living in Mount Pleasant on Friday, November 22, 2024.

She was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 12, 1941, the daughter of the late Nicolas and Vera (nee: Peckham) Madgey and was the oldest of eight children.

After graduating from Wilmette Mallinckrodt High School, she attended Mundelein College, receiving her Bachelor of Science Degree with an interest in fashion design. She continued for many years sewing clothing for herself, her children, and friends. On a blind date at Notre Dame, she met her husband-to-be, Joe Papenfuss.

On June 20, 1964, in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Glenview, Illinois, she was united in marriage to Joseph F. Papenfuss. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this past June.

For almost 28 years Mary Jane was the Director of the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Senior Center in Racine, retiring in 2001. She became a crackerjack at organizing creative programs and guest speaker luncheons (which occasionally included her family), planning interesting day trips with costs hand-detailed down to the penny, and handling any occasional drama that arose. She was fearless, funny, and compassionate with the seniors who attended. They became extended family, and she was beloved by many.

Her true loves were her garden, her kitchen, and her family.

Gardening was a prized lifelong gift from her mother who taught her the fundamentals and complexities of creating beautiful gardens. She would happily spend hours weeding, planting, and planning her garden, with a sprinkle of freckles to show for it. She especially loved tulips and dahlias. She shared her knowledge with her children teaching them to grow tomatoes and raspberries in a backyard plot.

She had an equal affection for her kitchen. She was an excellent cook and baker. Fondly remembered are her breakfast crepes with cinnamon sugar, sandwiches wrapped in crisp waxed paper sent off to school, fried egg sandwiches, Black Bottom cupcakes, Texas brownies, rhubarb shakes, favorite Swedish Dreams cookies, elegant standing rib roasts and her exquisite Linzer torte. She was always trying new things to hone her skills and loved reading cookbooks and cooking magazines. She was also famous for her enthusiasm for holiday feasts, with Thanksgiving being her favorite. The more the merrier at her table! She was happiest surrounded by family and friends.

Family and friends also played a significant role in her travels. She and Joe took yearly trips to Door County to enjoy theatre and good food with friends. They had an annual fall picnic with their friends, the Cooks, which has continued for over 50 years. Each year the picnic was in a new location, including a special trip one year to Nice, France. For a few consecutive years, they spent the Chinese New Year with son Joe, and their grandsons in Taiwan. Highlights included visiting Alishan mountain, Sun Moon Lake, and Luo Dong Township with grandson Arthur as her tour guide. They always enjoyed stopping in Hawaii for a while on the way home. They took cruises to the Caribbean, the Maritime Provinces of Canada, and the Netherlands to see the tulips in the spring. Most recently they spent time each winter in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Special family vacations included the better part of the summer visiting her sister Barbara in London and to Charleston, South Carolina to visit her sister Peggy and husband Ken when the kids were young. They also spent cherished time up north and in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and the Glenview, Illinois area enjoying family gatherings. Later trips to Paris and Hawaii to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary added even more memorable moments to their travels. Mary Jane also loved traveling with her daughter Anne-Marie for their famous Aunties’ weekends, which took them all over the country visiting her sisters.

MaryJane cherished her canine companions throughout her life as well. Growing up, her family had a beautiful Irish Setter named Ginger. Later in life, she welcomed Hattie, a rescue dachshund, and JoJo, a lively puggle, into her family.

Mary Jane will be remembered for her beautiful smile, her sense of humor and her kindness of heart. She was generous and compassionate, always ready to help or just listen. She had a way of making those around her feel welcome and special. She was a woman of strong faith and a loyal member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

Mary Jane was also a long-time member of PEO (the Sisterhood of Philanthropic Educational Organization] in Racine.

Surviving are her husband, Joseph F. Papenfuss Sr., their children, Joseph F. Papenfuss Jr., of Taiwan, and Anne-Marie (Tony) Warkoczewski, of Muskego; five grandchildren, Arthur Papenfuss, Richard Papenfuss, William Papenfuss, Kimberlyn Warkoczewski, and Kyle Warkoczewski; five sisters, Alice Lombardo, of St. Louis, Missouri, Barbara (Neil) Sweeny, of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Joan Ransohoff, of Beverly Hills, California, Peggy (Ken) Koehn, of Maryville, Illinois, and Dorothy (Phil) Laughlin, of Wellesley, Massachusetts. Many nieces and nephews also survive her. In addition to her parents, Mary Jane was preceded in death by her brother, Nicholas Madgey Jr. and her sister, Marcia Silvestri.

The family thanks the caregivers of Chalmers House and the management team at Harvest Home Assisted Living in Mount Pleasant for their diligent care and loving companionship. They also thank St. Croix Hospice for their dedication, care and compassion these past months.