Lorraine Barnes

Our mom, Lorraine Barnes, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, with family by her side. She was 94 years young. Lorraine was born August 12, 1927, in Berlin, WI, the daughter of John and Carrie (Dorsch) Schneckenberg. She graduated from Berlin High School in 1945. On May 17, 1945, Lorraine married her high school sweetheart, Claude (Chatta) Barnes in Berlin, WI where they raised a family of 7 children. She resided in Berlin for most of her life, until 2010, after Chatta’s passing, Lorraine moved to Appleton, WI, near other family members. Lorraine was a lifelong parishioner of St. Stanislaus Church, now, All Saints. She was a member of the St. Stanislaus Auxiliary. Her family kept her busy, but she also worked outside of the home. When she was a young mother, she worked at a local A&P grocery store and then ventured into the SuperValu chain in Berlin. She was a local Avon Lady for a while, progressing up to Avon’s President Club. Lorraine always looked beautiful and smelled fine too! After the closing of SuperValu, Lorraine moved onto hospitality and was a hostess at two supper clubs in Berlin, the Town & Country Restaurant and The Whiting Hotel. After the clubs’ closures, Lorraine moved onto The Heidel House in Green Lake, WI. She loved working and talking with people. She always had a quick joke to sneak in and left you smiling. She was made for the hospitality industry. Lorraine had passions for her family and her faith. She prayed the Rosary daily. She talked about sitting on Jesus’ lap for the last few years and when she passed, family were blessed to know she finally made it to her place by His side. After moving to Appleton, Lorraine became a quasi-member of St. Bernadette Parish. She loved her new parish and the friends she made there, especially Gloria, who continued her ministry with her until her passing. Lorraine loved her cats and her gardening. She had many cats in her later years; always one to keep her company. One of her favorites was Swamp Kitty who would follow her in her gardens. Her latest was called St. Francis and he lives with her daughter today out on a farm. Her backyard was set for flowering plants from spring through fall. She loved moving bushes and placing flowers here and there to get it all “just right!” She had help from her two sons, Jim and Bill, with these tasks. One of her favorite seasons was Christmas. She was known in Berlin for her themed Christmas trees – she had several each year. She won annual awards from the City of Berlin for her trees. Lorraine hosted Bible Study at her home and when it was Christmas time, it was an opportunity for ladies to view her trees and eat her baked goods. Her father and mother, John and Carrie Schneckenberg, owned Schneckenberg Bakery in Berlin when Lorraine was young. She must have been blessed with those baker’s hands because her baked goods (cookies, cakes, and pies) were the best! She also was a pretty darn good cook! With 7 children, she whipped up some of the best meals in town! The family couldn’t wait for the family gatherings because they knew mom would have their favorite dishes and desserts ready. Lorraine loved music … and … Western movies. She loved to listen to Barbara Streisand, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. In fact, she saw Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett in concert. Any time there was an old Western on TV, she would love to sit and watch it with you! Lorraine was always there to help with the birth of a grandchild. She’d come and live with the family to help the new parents. Lorraine traveled to see her adult children and grandchildren whenever she could. Being a mother/grandmother was one of her most loved passions in life. In 2017, Lorraine moved to Brewster Village Long Term Care Facility in Appleton. She was pretty agile in her walker and wheelchair when first living at Brewster. She made great friends there and was known as the “puzzle lady.” Lorraine set up puzzle tables in the Sunroom and in the Living Room at Brewster, because just one puzzle going on wasn’t enough. She enjoyed the other “Villagers” and participated with the activities, but especially liked it when there were concerts … mostly Elvis! While in the Nursing Home, Lorraine began to clip the crossword puzzles out of the newspapers. Lorraine would wheel herself around the Village to gather all the newspapers she could set on her lap. The next day she’d go around again to gather the newspapers to clip-out the answers. She taped the two together and when her son Jim would come to visit, she would give him this stack of crossword puzzles to take back to the Nursing Home in Rhinelander. She was always thinking of other people. Lorraine is survived by her 7 children -- Nancy (Tom) Fuhremann of St. Louis, Jim (Margaret) Barnes of Rhinelander, Mary Lou (Lee) Bjornstad of Madison, Bill (Debby) Barnes of Sun Prairie, Patty (Morris) Hampton of Appleton, Susan (Duane) Hase of Neenah, and Nicole (Ryan) Helmer of Coloma; 21 grandchildren -- Scott (Lisa) Fuhremann, David Fuhremann, Michael Fuhremann, Chris (Eyreka) Barnes, Tim (Alyssa) Barnes, Charlotte (John) Miller, Karen (Dan) Erickson, Dave Anderson, Jason (Nichole) Bach, Leslie Anne (Jeremy) Deuchars, Kevin (Lindsay) Barnes, Abby (Cory) Bosben, Carissa (Paul) Frank, Taylor Paulsen, Alina and Jacob Hampton, Emily, Dylan and Isabella Hase, Dakota Turner, and Sarah Helmer; 27 great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews and grand nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Chatta; her parents, John and Carrie Schneckenberg; brothers Raymond and Harold (Pearl) Schneckenberg and sister Leone (Walt) Freitag. Special thanks to the compassionate and caring staff of Brewster Village. The family would also like to thank St. Bernadette’s Parish for their home ministry to mom. Bye for now, Mom. We love you! (We can hear her respond …) “LOVE YOU MORE. HAHA!” A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, February 18 at 11:30 am at All Saints Catholic Parish of Berlin with Father John Silva officiating. Burial will follow this Spring at Saint Stanislaus Catholic Cemetery of Berlin. All are invited to the Mass. For those that cannot attend, the Mass will be live streamed on the Parish website. Please wear a mask to prevent the spread of Covid. Unfortunately, due to Covid, the family is closing the visitation and luncheon to close family members only. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to All Saints Catholic Church, Berlin, WI, or to St. Bernadette Parish, Appleton, WI.

Lorraine Barnes

August 12, 1927 - February 2, 2022