Obituary: M. Earlene Pfeifer

M. Earlene Pfeifer, of Waukesha, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, at CareAge of Brookfield at the age of 85.

Earlene was born in Hamilton, Iowa, on Feb. 16, 1926, the daughter of Edward Earl and Tunnie (nee Botts) Stilwell. During the early years of her life she lived in Cameron, WI. The Stilwells then moved to Waukesha, WI, and became members of the First Baptist Church in August of 1943, where Earlene later became a member of the Mary Martha Circle and enjoyed the charitable and rewarding work they did within the church and communities. Earlene was a devote member of the church for 68 years.

She married the love of her life, Burton Pfeifer, on Jan. 5, 1952 and they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary earlier this year. As a homemaker, Earlene enjoyed freezing and canning the fruits and vegetables from her huge garden. She loved flowers, crocheting and cross-stitch embroidery, which she made into gifts for family and friends. Earlene adored the Milwaukee Brewers, reading the newspaper, completing the crossword puzzles and watching Jeopardy. More than anything, she loved spending time with her husband, her family and her pets. She especially loved her time with her two grandchildren, Kyle and Ryan.

Earlene will be dearly missed by her husband, Burton; her son, Kurt (Lynn) Pfeifer of Waukesha and their two children, Kyle and Ryan; her daughter, Kim Pfeifer of Waukesha; her son, Kevin (Sue) Pfeifer of Waukesha; her brother Edward (Patsy) Stilwell of California; her sister, Imogene (the late Roger) Koebler of Maryland; her sister-in-law, Barbara Stilwell (the late Rodney) of Waukesha; and many nieces, nephews and other family and friends. Earlene was preceded in death by her sister, Yvonne Gigous; her brother-in-laws, Dean Gigous and Roger Koebler; her brother, Rodney Stilwell; and her sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Phyllis (nee Pfeifer) and Robert Beeheim.

A visitation for Earlene will be from 9 a.m. until the 11 a.m. funeral service on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, at the 237 N. Moreland Blvd., Waukesha, WI 53188. The Rev. Dr. Jim Carlson will be officiating the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are appreciated to the family in memory of Earlene.

Cesarz, Charapata & Zinnecker Funeral Home, Cremation and Pre-Planning Services is serving the family.  For the online obituary or to leave a message of condolence, please visit http://www.WaukeshasFuneralHome.com, or call 262-542-6609.