Catherine ""Mike"" Ann Wenzel

Catherine “Mike” Wenzel, 92, of Sullivan passed away on Wednesday, December 25th, 2024 at Rainbow Hospice in Johnson Creek.

She was born in Jefferson on December 17th, 1932 to Cyril and Mae Aumann. Catherine attended grade school at St. John the Baptist in Jefferson, and later graduated from Jefferson High School in 1951, where she was a cheerleader.

She married Lloyd “Butch” Wenzel on October 23rd, 1953 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Jefferson. In 1973, she began a 19 year career with the USPS in Sullivan. She became Sullivan’s Postmaster in 1982 and served as Postmaster until her retirement in 1992. She was a member of the St. Mary’s Help of Christians Parish Council across multiple decades, serving as Chairperson for many of those years. She led the St. Vincent DePaul Society in Sullivan and volunteered weekly at the store in Jefferson. She was one of the founding members of the Council of Catholic Women at St. Mary’s and was instrumental in the annual Christmas Neighbors program. She helped with countless parish socials, fundraisers, and funeral lunches.  Weekly and faithfully she took communion to the homebound. Her husband would say, “If the church doors were open, she was there”. She delivered Meals on Wheels. She was a Girl Scout Leader, 4-H leader, and waitressed for many years in Sullivan (at Vogt’s, Poole’s, and Morry’s) and also waitressed at The Spot in Jefferson. She taught her daughters to sew and created each of their wedding dresses herself.

She will be deeply missed by her four children, Cynthia (Robert) Steinke of Eagle, Sandra (Alfred Jr) Speich of Sullivan, Sharon (Jon) Teuteberg of Jefferson, and James (Holly) Wenzel of Sullivan; her grandchildren Lee (Samantha), William and Andrew Speich of Sullivan, Jason Teuteberg of Hartford, Ryan (Kendall) Wenzel of Lake Mills, and Janelle Wenzel of Madison; her Great grandson Walter Wenzel; her sisters Patricia Jahnke of Jefferson, and Joann “Susie” (Herbert) Schmitz of Jefferson; her brothers Jerome William (Linda) Aumann, and John Thomas (Gail) Aumann of Jefferson; her cousins Judy Gruennert, Janet Peterson of Jefferson, and Lynn (Steve) Borgstrom of Dousman; her in-laws Suzanne Vogel of Jefferson, and Don (Lila) Wenzel of Brookfield; and her many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Lloyd “Butch”; her infant son William; her Uncle Joseph (Mavis) Aumann, Aunt Zita (Norman “Pest”) Peterson; brothers Charles and Robert “Gopher” Aumann; Cousins Dennis Gruennert, Jim (Donna) Peterson, William Peterson, Ann Aumann, and Jane Aumann; In-laws Roy (Norma) Wenzel, Step mother-in-law Elaine Wenzel. Sibling in-laws Glenn “Pete” (Helen “Bunny”) Wenzel, and Jay Vogel.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 11:00am at St. Mary of Help of Christians W856 USH 18, Sullivan, WI.  Friends may call at the church on Tuesday from 9:00am until the time of the service.  Burial will follow in the St. Mary's Cemetery.

“By helping and working with other people, you are repaid double.”

In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. Mary’s Help of Christians Parish would be greatly appreciated.