Joan M. Simon

Joan Mary (Wettstein) Simon, 81, of the rural Malone area,
passed away Saturday, February 29, 2020 at St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac
with her family at her side. 

 

Joan was born in Fond du Lac on
Monday, December 12, 1938 the oldest of four daughters to Henry and Emma (Schmitz)
Wettstein of Dotyville. She was raised on a dairy farm near Dotyville until her
marriage. For her first two years of school Joan went to the Town of Forest
public grade school. When that closed her Uncle and Aunt, Ambrose and Elizabeth
Wettstein of Eden, tore down the school, and using the school’s lumber, built a
house for Joan’s family in the Village of Eden. It was there that her parents raised
their family of four girls. Joan belonged to St. Michael’s Parish in Dotyville
and was a student at the church’s grade school. She received her First Holy
Communion on May 4, 1947 and was confirmed on October 25, 1951, both at St.
Michael’s Church. Joan graduated from St. Mary’s Springs Academy in 1956.

 

On Saturday, October 3, 1959 Joan married Elmer A. Simon of
St. Peter at St. Michael’s Church. They met thru Joan’s cousin, Tony Schmitz of
St. Peter, at Ozie’s minor bar on the main drag in Mt. Calvary. The Simons
lived in Dotyville for the first few years of their marriage. In 1964 they
purchased the Simon homestead in St. Peter from Elmer’s mother, Florence Simon,
and began dairy farming. While helping on the farm, Joan raised their three
girls and one boy. When her children became older, she began working part-time
at Federal Crop Insurance in Fond du Lac.

 

Joan worked for the USDA-Farm Service Agency in Fond du
Lac for 31½ years. Upon retiring on April 1, 2010, she began to volunteer at
the Salvation Army Food Pantry. Joan was a member of the “We Love to Dance
Club” and became the clubs secretary for several years. In addition, Joan was
on the Plan Commission Board for the Town of Taycheedah for many years, was a
member of the American Legion Abler-Engel Post 454 Auxiliary in Mt. Calvary and
belonged to “Among Friends” at the Fond du Lac Senior Center. She also played
cards with various groups in Dotyville, St. Cloud, and Pipe. Joan helped care
for some of her grandchildren and great- grandchildren whom she enjoyed very
much.

 

Survivors include her
husband of sixty years, Elmer; three daughters, Janice M. Simon (husband, Rick
Rupp) of Berthoud, Colo., Carol A. Simon of Dotyville and Ann M. Simon of rural
Fond du Lac; her son, Stephen E. Simon of rural Malone; four grandchildren, Nicole
D. Drew of both Milwaukee and Jamaica, Calvin M. (Teha) Drew of Manitowoc, Timothy
E. Simon (Kayla Immel) of Mt. Calvary, and Ella M. Rupp of Berthoud, Colo.; seven
great-grandchildren, Preston and Colton Drew of Fond du Lac, Brei and Hollster
of Manitowoc, Aubrey Bender, Emma and Benjamin Simon all of rural Mt. Calvary; three
sisters, Barbara E. (Ron) Haessley of Dotyville, Mary C. Krug (Rick Keller) of
Dotyville and Ann M. Reilly of Fountain Hills, Ariz.; three nephews, Michael
Haessley of Milwaukee, Mark (Toni) Haessley of Germantown and Kevin (Trish)
Krug of Fond du Lac; two nieces, Tricia Reilly (Matthew) Johnson of Florida and
Lisa Reilly Payton (Rod E.) of Arizona; a former son-in-law, Steven Drew of
Fond du Lac; other relatives and many friends.  

  

She was preceded in death by her grandparents, parents
and a brother-in-law, Patrick J. Reilly.                                                                                                                                                    

 

Visitation will be held from 1:00pm – 4:00pm, Thursday,
March 5, 2020 at Uecker-Witt Funeral

Home, 524 N. Park Ave. in Fond du Lac. A prayer service
will follow, beginning at 4:00pm.  Private
burial services in St. Charles Cemetery will take place the following day.  

 

Additional information and guestbook can be found by
visiting ueckerwitt.com