Individual Details

Death

Gertrude Marie Kohlman, 94, of Markesan passed away on August 30, 2010. She was born July 7, 1916 to Joseph and Suzann Schneider Halfmann. On June 1, 1938 she married Elmer A. Kohlman in St. Peter, WI. Survivors include five children, Nancy (John) Furr of Chicago, Terry (Kathy) Kohlman of Princeton, Victoria (Dudley Davis, deceased) Kohlman of Madison, Pat Kohlman of Madison, and Jean (Dennis) Adams of Green Lake, eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. She is further survived by two brothers, Gregory (Irene) Halfmann of Johnsburg and Louie (Delores) Halfmann of Tucson, AZ, two sisters, Sister M. Azaria Halfmann of Davenport, IO, and Sister M. Serena Halfmann of Milwaukee. She was preceded in death by her husband Elmer, a brother, Edmund Halfmann and three sisters, Cecelia Franzen, Margaret Schneider and Agnes Schneider. Services: Private family entombment will be held at the Shrine of Rest Mausoleum, Ledgeview Memorial Park, Fond du Lac. Memorials in her name may be directed to the Markesan Resident Home where she received such exceptional and loving care. A special thank-you is extended to Heartland Hospice. Our mother would not have allowed any of what follows to be included in her obituary, so we are dutifully keeping it out. But any life leaves a trail and those prints merit noting if not as an example, as least in respect for who walked there. Goodness is as goodness does and the depth of it shows in anyone's backtrail. Mom was born in St. Peter, in poverty. One of 9 children, her father was permanently disabled in an accident on the railroad before insurance and Social Security. Her parents refused "assistance" and the family scratched things out, taking in farmer's milk for pickup in return for housing, with the girls working as maids and sending the money home. Grandma Halfmann may also have served mankind by seeing that mankind was "served" … during prohibition, at least according to family legend. We're not saying, but … you do what you have to do and we're proud of that. When her parents couldn't do things on their own anymore, kids gone, Mom took them in, on our North Fond du Lac farm, then years later on our Fond du Lac farm. We grew up knowing grandpa was in his sickbed off the kitchen. Then when her youngest sister at age 18 thought the unthinkable, that she wanted to go to high school, Mom also took her in and she attended St. Mary's Springs. She finished her education with a PHD. You left unmistakable character prints there, Mom. There's more sign, deep and unmistakable. She was determined that all of her children go to college, whether they needed it or not. Suspecting that farm income didn't match up well with five college degrees, she went to work. In addition to farmwife duties, for twenty years she was the Pastry Chef at the Postilion, bringing her artistry and many of her recipes to that business. Her unique pastries were marketed throughout the country through the Postilion. So confident was she in her grasp of that profession that when she entered a Midwest cake baking contest, she made two cakes, one for the contest, and one for when she won the contest. Which she did. Her earnings? Invested in her children's education. What she couldn't cover, she borrowed and repaid. There's more to read in her trail of course. She was tough. Drove herself to the hospital for the delivery of her second child in a pickup truck because Dad was tied up, even though the truck had a flat tire. And she filled the role of "Mother" for any grandchild who needed extra attention because busy parents weren't able to give enough. Goodness is as goodness does. That's her story. And Mom, it isn't in your obit. It's separate and we'll even ask for a separate bill. Because God knows, we don't want to antagonize you now, with your new power added to what you brought to the party Up There.