Ethel Bothe

Ethel W. Bothe, 102, Kewaunee, passed away on July 14, 2024. She was born on June 9, 1922, in the Town of Pierce, Kewaunee County to the late John and Wanda (Mantei) Wingert. On June 10, 1944, Ethel married Donald O. Bothe at St. John's Lutheran Church in Rankin. They were married for 60 years. He preceded her in death on September 20, 2004.

Ethel was educated in the Brookside School, Algoma High School, and graduated from the Door/Kewaunee County Normal School. She taught in several Kewaunee County rural one and two room schools for a period of five years. After that she operated a farm with her husband in the Town of Pierce.

Ethel was a member of Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church in Kewaunee. Ethel worked hard in her lifetime. She raised three children while also milking cows, feeding calves, canning from her large vegetable garden, and of course dropping everything at a moment's notice to help her husband when needed on the farm. She loved baking, years ago using her old wood cook stove to bake her bread. She also loved cooking, her animals, and books. Ethel was an avid reader. In her later years she devoured books, often reading a book a day. But most of all, she was devoted to her family, who miss her dearly.

Ethel is survived by one son and daughter-in-law; Dale (Yvonne) Bothe, Pierce Town; two daughters and one son-in-law, Karen (Keith) Peterson, California, and Debra Bothe, Pierce Town; two grandchildren, Melissa (Kevin) Srnka, Pierce Town, and Matthew Bothe, Pierce Town; three great-children, Austin, Parker, and Mekenzie Srnka. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald; her parents, John and Wanda Wingert; five sisters, Mildred Rutkowski, Elizabeth Gaulke, Emma Waterstreet, Elsie Boltz, and Frieda O'Hern; and one brother William Wingert.

Visitation will take place at Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church, Kewaunee from 9:00 am - 11:00 am on Thursday, July 18, 2024. Funeral service will be at 11:00 am at the church with Pastor Matthew Sprunger officiating. Burial to follow at Evergreen Cemetery, Algoma. Kinnard Funeral & Cremation Services is assisting the family. Livestreaming of the funeral service will be available on our website, and online condolence messages may also be shared at KinnardFCS.com.

Her family would like to express their appreciation to all the Unity Hospice caregivers in the last days of her life, and to all the librarians through the years at the Algoma Library for keeping her so well supplied with books all these years.