Elizabeth "Betty" A. Pieterick

Elizabeth “Betty” Pieterick passed away at Oakwood Villa in Altoona on Sunday, October 7, 2007. Her loving husband, Ray Pieterick, and other family and friends were present with her in prayer at the time of her passing. Betty was born October 14, 1921 on a dairy farm in rural Gale Township in Trempealeau County, WI, the youngest of 7 children born to Leonard and Gertrude (nee Crogan) Stellpflug. After graduating from Galesville High School, she worked for Doerflinger’s department store in LaCrosse, where she met Ray Pieterick. When Ray was posted abroad with the Army during WWII, they continued to develop their relationship via correspondence. They eventually married on June 21, 1947. Betty lived a busy and full life, helping Ray manage his tavern on Water Street while raising her bustling brood of children in the apartment over the tavern. She was the original “soccer mom”, before soccer was ever heard of on Water Street. She transported her children and their friends to sports practices and other school activities, and never missed a performance or game. She encouraged singing and music and led by example as a member of the choir at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and entertaining her family at home with a myriad of classic popular and folk tunes in her lilting soprano voice while going about her daily chores. She was shy and reticent to sing her own praises. She was fun to be around socially because she put people at ease. Her kind heart and warm presence will be missed by those who knew her. Family was important to Betty. She enjoyed summertime family vacations on northern Wisconsin lakes, watching her children splashing and playing. Despite busy family activities, however, she usually managed to find a moment with each of her children to make them feel special and unique. She used a gentle touch and her quiet Irish wit to take the sting out of the inevitable bruises of their growing up. In later years, she took great pleasure in visits with her grandchildren and finding just the right little gift for each of them. She is survived by all eight of her children (and their spouses): Trudy (Tony Theodore) Pieterick, Charlie (Marcie Rubardt) Pieterick, Jeff (Joan) Pieterick, Ed Pieterick, Sue (Tom) Johnson, Stan (Sue) Pieterick, Cindy Garzon, and Dave (Sandy) Pieterick, in addition to 18 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Betty was preceded in death by her parents and all her siblings, Margaret, Fran (Rice), Leonard, Helen (Sheehy), Mary, and Jim. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, October 11, 2007 beginning at 10:30 AM from Plombon’s All Faiths Funeral & Cremation Service, 1405 N. Clairemont Avenue, Eau Claire, WI 53704 going in procession to St. Patrick Catholic Church for the Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery. Friends may call on Wednesday, October 10, 2007 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM with a parish vigil service at 7:00 PM. Memorials may be made to St. Francis Food Pantry in Eau Claire or St. Joseph’s Hospice Care of Chippewa Falls. Condolences may be made care of the funeral home or online at 866allfaiths.com.