Mary Jane Ringelstetter

Columbus – Mary Jane “Janie” F. Ringelstetter passed away on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at the age of 91.  She was born on July 14, 1929 in Ashton Corners to Edward and Frances (Ripp) Barman, the second of 12 children, 10 who were raised to adulthood.  She married Louis D. Ringelstetter on September 27, 1950.  Janie was the mother of 9 children.

Who is this person who was mother, sister, grandmother, great grandmother, friend, or neighbor to us?  Janie was (as she would say) “Pa’s hired man”; that is who she was from 8th grade graduation until she was married.  When she was about 14, she had to clean the cow gutters on Sundays and she got a candy bar for doing it.  She was so proud of that.  She would get up at 4 am and walk a long way out to the pasture to bring the cows in for milking.  After the cows were milked, she fed the pigs and the chickens.  For fun, she got to go fishing for bullhead, perch, crappie, and bluegill.  Then, of course, there was always work to be done in the garden; that is, if you wanted to eat!

Her hobbies were many.  She loved to dance (mostly polkas), play cards, hunt, fish, shoot trap, paint, spend time at the lake, and cook.  There were a lot of children to feed, so you ate what she cooked.  She knew how to stretch a pound of hamburger to feed the family.  Her best recipes were her potato salad, lasagna, and butter horns.  Our favorite treat was her Peppernuts at Christmastime, and Sundays were always a special day.  There was sugared cereal, homemade bread, store-bought meat instead of wild game, soda pop and popcorn, and watching Hee-Haw.  Besides raising 9 children, she raised chinchillas, rabbits, and worms for fishing.  Janie and Louie were founding members of the North Bristol Sportsman’s Club, where Janie was the head cook.

Janie is survived by her 9 children, Daniel (Peggy), Roger (Patricia), Judy (Brian) Wilson, Allen, Annette (David) Fakes, Lorraine (Mike) Kasmiski, Cynthia Keyes, Doug (Kim), Pamela Wallace (Tina); 15 grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren.  She is further survived by her siblings, Sr. Jane Barman, Edward Barman, Agnes Yanke, Eileen Knudson (Michael Schwartz), and Paulette (Ron) Riege; brother-in-law Richard Ringelstetter; sisters-in-law, Beatrice Blau, and Mary, Marlene, Marilyn, and Kay Ringelstetter; goddaughter Joann Ringelstetter, and many other relatives and dear friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Louie on January 28, 1983, her sisters, Dorothy Ringelstetter, Jeanette Huebner, Marietta Barman, Sr. Rita Barman, and two infant sisters, Catherine and Lorraine; her brothers-in-law, Bruce Yanke, Fed Huebner, Mark, Lawrence, Victor, George, Edward, and Leonard Ringelstetter, and her sisters-in-law, Irene Durst, Mary Schroud, and Margaret and Bernice Ringelstetter.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 am on Monday December 21, 2020 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1935 County Road V, Sun Prairie, WI 53590.  Visitation will be from 9:00 until the time of Mass.  Attendees are required to wear a mask, and we strongly encourage people to attend virtually, if possible, to reduce the risk of COVID.  The streaming will be available at the following link:  https://event.forgetmenotceremonies.com/ceremony/?c=b1d5f9bf-ecb6-47d3-9cbf-4433fea08e9a.  Graveside service will follow at East Bristol Catholic Cemetery.

Memorial Donations can be made to: St Joseph Catholic Church  https://osvonlinegiving.com/1883 (Quick Give Link)

A special thank you to all the staff at Larson House, Columbus and Generations Home Care and Hospice, Fond du Lac, for making Mom part of your family and for the loving care she received.  You all hold a special place in our hearts.