Marianne Louise Stauffacher Kieffer, age 97, of Signal Mountain, TN died there Monday, October 17, 2011.
Marianne was born May 4, 1914, to Emil and Della (Schultz) Stauffacher on the family farm in Sylvester Township, Green County, near Monroe, WI. She attended Dutch Hollow Elementary School and Monroe Jr. High, graduated from Monroe High School in 1932, and then attended the University of Wisconsin in Steven's Point. On May 4, 1940, she married George W. Kieffer in Madison and they enjoyed life together for over 54 years. Marianne worked as a clerk in the Office of Unemployment in Monroe. She then worked for the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, which is where she and George met, in Monroe and Madison. She was a substitute teacher at West Bloomfield Elementary School in West Bloomfield, MI. She enjoyed children and became a teachers' aide in West Springfield, MA. Throughout the years she lived in Monroe, Stevens Point, Madison, and Middleton, WI; Lake Orion and Pontiac, MI; West Springfield, MA; St. Petersburg and Treasure Island, FL; Murphy, NC; and Signal Mountain, TN. She was active as a volunteer in many of these communities. She was a resident of Alexian Village, Signal Mountain, since 1987. She was a member of Alexian Village Chapel and of Ladies of Charity, Chattanooga. Marianne was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her strong spirit, gentle wisdom, and thoughtful kindness continue to inspire her family and friends. She enjoyed her family, flowers, and nature, especially butterflies. Her love of butterflies was inspired by her mother, who was known as The Butterfly Lady of Monroe. Her ancestry includes German, Swiss, and English heritage, and this heritage was often reflected in family meals. She was a lifelong learner and enjoyed reading, sewing, and crafts, and in later years she used her computer to keep in touch with family, follow the Green Bay Packers, and play solitaire. Marianne is survived by daughter, Georgianna (Wayne) Kuebler of Engadine, MI; sons, Hank (Betsy) Kieffer of Celina, TX and Ken Kieffer of Gig Harbor, WA; also eight grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, George Kieffer, August 22, 1994; her parents; brothers, Lester and Chester Stauffacher; and sisters Florence Stauffacher and Irene (Stauffacher) Coon. The funeral is set for Dec. 3 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Mineral Point, WI and burial will be in the church's cemetery. Contributions may be made to Make A Wish Foundation, 811 First Avenue, Suite 520, Seattle, WA 98104 or Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 8111 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, TX 75201. Arrangements by Lane Funeral Home, Chattanooga, TN, and Gorgan Funeral Home, Mineral Point, WI.
Marianne was born May 4, 1914, to Emil and Della (Schultz) Stauffacher on the family farm in Sylvester Township, Green County, near Monroe, WI. She attended Dutch Hollow Elementary School and Monroe Jr. High, graduated from Monroe High School in 1932, and then attended the University of Wisconsin in Steven's Point. On May 4, 1940, she married George W. Kieffer in Madison and they enjoyed life together for over 54 years. Marianne worked as a clerk in the Office of Unemployment in Monroe. She then worked for the Agricultural Adjustment Administration, which is where she and George met, in Monroe and Madison. She was a substitute teacher at West Bloomfield Elementary School in West Bloomfield, MI. She enjoyed children and became a teachers' aide in West Springfield, MA. Throughout the years she lived in Monroe, Stevens Point, Madison, and Middleton, WI; Lake Orion and Pontiac, MI; West Springfield, MA; St. Petersburg and Treasure Island, FL; Murphy, NC; and Signal Mountain, TN. She was active as a volunteer in many of these communities. She was a resident of Alexian Village, Signal Mountain, since 1987. She was a member of Alexian Village Chapel and of Ladies of Charity, Chattanooga. Marianne was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her strong spirit, gentle wisdom, and thoughtful kindness continue to inspire her family and friends. She enjoyed her family, flowers, and nature, especially butterflies. Her love of butterflies was inspired by her mother, who was known as The Butterfly Lady of Monroe. Her ancestry includes German, Swiss, and English heritage, and this heritage was often reflected in family meals. She was a lifelong learner and enjoyed reading, sewing, and crafts, and in later years she used her computer to keep in touch with family, follow the Green Bay Packers, and play solitaire. Marianne is survived by daughter, Georgianna (Wayne) Kuebler of Engadine, MI; sons, Hank (Betsy) Kieffer of Celina, TX and Ken Kieffer of Gig Harbor, WA; also eight grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, George Kieffer, August 22, 1994; her parents; brothers, Lester and Chester Stauffacher; and sisters Florence Stauffacher and Irene (Stauffacher) Coon. The funeral is set for Dec. 3 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Mineral Point, WI and burial will be in the church's cemetery. Contributions may be made to Make A Wish Foundation, 811 First Avenue, Suite 520, Seattle, WA 98104 or Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 8111 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, TX 75201. Arrangements by Lane Funeral Home, Chattanooga, TN, and Gorgan Funeral Home, Mineral Point, WI.