Catherine T. Nuss
Catharine T. Nuss, 104, passed away on April 28,
2019 at the St. Francis Terrace in Fond du Lac, WI. She was born on September 22, 1914 in Fond du
Lac, WI, the daughter of the late Dr. David and Clara (Licht) Twohig. On August 2, 1939 she married William J. Nuss
at St. Patrick’s Church in Fond du Lac. In
1989, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at a surprise
party given by their children. Her
husband “Bill” preceded her in death on October 28, 1991. She was a member of St. Patrick’s Church and,
more recently, Holy Family Parish.
Catharine graduated from Fond du Lac Senior High
School in 1932. She graduated magna cum
laude from Mount Mary College in 1936 and received a Master of Arts Degree in
social work from Loyola University in Chicago in 1937. Before her marriage, she worked as a social
worker for the Green Bay Catholic Diocese.
Catharine was a member of Mount Mary College Alumni
Association, Service League of Fond du Lac, involved for many years with the
Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Meals on Wheels, the former St. Patrick’s Church &
School, St. Mary’s Springs High School and received the Servant Leadership
Award from Holy Family Parish in 2018. She
hosted many family gatherings for the holidays and other celebrations always
preparing delicious meals and desserts. She
was always interested in what each member of her family was involved in. She
loved and cherished her family and enjoyed spending time with them.
She and Bill enjoyed many years of boating on Lake
Winnebago, the Canadian North Channel, Door County, Lake Michigan and Mackinac
Island. They enjoyed many wonderful
trips, cruises and snowmobiling. She was
very proud of her Irish heritage and enjoyed playing bridge with her friends. When asked about her long life, she always
replied, “don’t worry about the small stuff, have a sense of humor, have faith
and trust in the Lord and remember to pray every day”.
Catharine is survived by her children: Clare Gefke,
Glendale, WI; Richard (Toni) Nuss, Fond du Lac, WI; Patricia (Douglas) Fossum,
Shoreview, MN; Joan (James) Pappas, Neenah, WI; and daughter-in-law, Lucille
Nuss, Ashland, OH. She is survived by 14
grandchildren: Fr. David Nuss, Toledo, OH; Brian (Margo) Nuss, Plainfield, IN;
Michael (Monika) Nuss, Rocky River, OH; Linda (John) Dahlke, Northbrook, IL; Cathy
(Patrick) Keenan, Waunakee, WI; Mary
(Mark) Syverud, Gurnee, IL; Jeffrey (Andrea) Nuss, Fond du Lac, WI; Lynn
(James) Reich, Glendale, WI; James
(Kiersti) Gefke, Glendale, WI; Paul (Elizabeth) Fossum, Pleasanton, CA;
Jennifer (Jason) Heckenkamp, Delafield, WI; Mark (Angie) Pappas, Appleton, WI;
Julie (Eric) Ryer, Port Washington, WI; and Mary (Thomas) Gritton, Brooklyn
Park, MN. She is further survived by 38 great-grandchildren: Will and Mary Nuss; Zachary and Xavier Nuss;
Tommy, Annie, Matt, Katie and Jimmy Dahlke; Tim, Katie, Meghan and Connor
Keenan; Sarah, Rachel, and Luke Syverud; Olivia, Ella and Sophia Nuss; Spencer
and Teagan Reich; Henry, Will and Charles Gefke; Jackson Fossum,
step-great-granddaughter Alexandra (Taylor) Jacobsen and step-great-great
granddaughter Vivienne; Joel, Jocelyn, Jaimee, Jessica, Josephine, Julia,
Jacqueline, Joshua and Justina Heckenkamp; Hanna, Sarah, and Matthew Pappas;
and Hazel Ryer. She is further survived
by many nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews and numerous wonderful
friends.
Catharine was preceded in death by her parents, Dr.
David and Clara Twohig, her husband Bill of 52 years of marriage and his
parents, William and Frances Nuss, sons William Nuss, Jr. and Stephen Nuss,
son-in-law Henry Gefke, son-in-law Richard Paulson and grandson, John Gefke. She was also preceded in death by two sisters,
Marjorie (John) Brust, Betty (James) Boyle and one brother Dr. David (Thelma;
Elizabeth) Twohig, Jr. Also, preceding
her were three sisters-in-laws Cele (Leo) Peters, Mary Jane (Fred) Bush and
Sister Mary Francis Nuss, SSND.
A special thank you to her wonderful and caring
friends: Eleanor Yaeger, Pat Lanari, Donna Klabunde, Jane Majeska, Bob May and
Jean Hermanns. The family wishes to
express its sincere appreciation and heartfelt gratitude to the entire staff of
the St. Francis Terrace and Agnesian Hospice Hope for their kindness to and
loving care of Catharine.
SERVICES: The visitation will be Saturday, May 4,
2019, at Holy Family Catholic Church, 271 Fourth Street Way, Fond du Lac, WI
from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm with a Mass of Christian Burial following at noon. Her grandson, Fr. David Nuss, will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to Holy
Family Parish, St. Mary’s Springs Academy, St. Francis Home and Agnesian
Hospice Hope.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.zacherlfuneralhome.com