Obit: Smitke, Ursula, Berta (1929? - 2019)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Smitke, Bryan, Mack, Williams, Rome, Jerman, Franielczyk, Urban, Gildner
. .
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 5/08/2019

Smitke, Ursula Berta (1929? – 24 April 2019)

Ursula B. Smitke, age 90 of Waukesha, passed away on Wednesday, April 24, 2019.

Ursula was born in Schlesien (Poland) and moved to Berlin Germany when she was two. She met Bruce Bryan Sr. as she was working the cafeteria barracks while he was in the service, got married and moved to the USA in June of 1962. She later became a US citizen in March of 1974. Throughout her time living in the U.S., she lived in Neillsville, and Thorp, a few years in Illinois and Waukesha. She worked in the factory of Fiat-Allis (Allis-Chalmers) for 23 years. Ursula was a big Elvis Presley fan and collected Elvis memorabilia. She will be deeply missed by all that knew her.

Ursula is survived by her children: Bridget (Thomas) Mack, Monika Williams and Bruce (Jenny) Bryan; her grandchildren: Tania (Tony) Rome, Alan (Penny) Mack, Angela (Nicholas) Jerman, Robert (Kristiana) Williams, Shawn (Nicole) Williams, Benjamin (Shannon) Bryan and Jesse Bryan along with 13 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren, nephew Dieter (Jutta) Franielczyk of Germany and many other relatives and friends.

Ursula was preceded in death by her parents Paul and Marie Urban, her husbands: Wolfgang Gildner, Bruce Bryan Sr. and Fred Smitke, sisters Edith Urban and Gretel Franielczyk and brother Horst Urban.

A Memorial Service for Ursula will be held on Saturday, May 18, 2019 at Pagenkopf Funeral Home (1165 E. Summit Ave. Oconomowoc, WI 53066). Visitation for family and friends will start at 12:00 P.M. until time of service at 2:00 P.M. A burial will follow at St. Bruno’s Catholic Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Wisconsin Cancer Society in honor of Ursula.

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