Kristin Leigh Bansley, age 53, of Monroe passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, August 18, 2022. She was born the daughter of Les and Francy (Bales) Bieneman on May 29, 1969 in Monroe. Kristin was united in marriage to Adam Bansley on October 27, 2007 at St. John’s Church, Monroe.
Kristin was a 1987 graduate of Monroe High School. She earned her undergraduate degree in German at UW-Whitewater and later obtained her Masters in Education from UW-LaCrosse. Devoting most of her teaching career to the School District of Monroe, she was teaching German and acted as the Gifted and Talented program coordinator. Kristin enhanced her teaching skills by spending a year teaching conversational English in Japan and returned to attend a language institute to become licensed to teach Japanese. These experiences spurred her adventurous spirit of travel which included countries such as: Germany, Austria, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Great Britain, and others. Kristin also spent time traveling the States with her family and planning future trips. She was a passionate advocate for maintaining the German exchange program which provided many learning experiences for her students.
Kristin’s influence extended well beyond the school walls. Serving on the Green County Fair Board for the past 10 years, she was a progressive leader for improving the experiences of fairgoers and for the youth of Green County. Kristin grew up in the Hiawatha 4-H club and then gave back by becoming the adult leader for the Young Americans 4-H club. She was a longtime member of the Monroe Jaycees and was a mentor for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. She could often be seen selling tickets to various high school sporting events.
Kristin had many interests and hobbies. She was an accomplished seamstress and baker extraordinaire. She perfected the art of underbaking cookies and not a single crunchy cookie was ever found in her kitchen! Kristin made jams and jellies that her dad especially enjoyed. She also had a flair for interior design and her talents made her house a home. A newfound hobby was refurbishing a vintage RV with Adam. She walked many miles with her beloved dog, Mya.
Kristin loved her family with whom she spent much time. She was very social and enjoyed watching Adam perform with his band. She and Adam liked to go to plays and musicals and spend time with friends. She believed in making memories. To travel with Kristin was to see everything you could possibly see and to take a picture (or it didn’t happen)! She enjoyed spending time with her nieces and nephews and tried to instill her love of shopping with each of them. Kristin was a master of family antics. Her witty personality and sense of humor created strong and lasting bonds. You can only imagine the joy and laughter she brought to her family! She will forever be missed by all who knew and loved her.
Kristin is survived by her husband, Adam Bansley; son, Elijah Bansley; parents, Les and Francy Bieneman; sisters, Susan (Jason) Brown and Sara (Todd) Durtschi; nieces and nephews, Andrew, Claire and Nick Brown, and Alana and Ty Durtschi.
She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, John and Norma Bieneman; maternal grandparents, Gerald and Alice Bales; and mother-in-law, Janice Bansley.
Visitation will be held from 2:30 PM until the memorial service at 5:00 PM on Thursday, August 25, 2022 at SHRINER HAGER GOHLKE Funeral Home with Pastor Todd Hackman officiating. A memorial fund is being established in Kristin’s name. Condolences may be sent to the family at: shriner111.com.
Nichts stirbt was in Erinnerung bleibt. Du bleibst für immer in unseren Herzen. Wir lieben dich für immer und auf ewig.
