Mary Ellen Magdalen Traeger, 78, of Gresham, passed away unexpectedly on Friday May 23, 2014, in Neenah surrounded by her loving family. Born on March 23, 1936, in Gresham, she was the daughter of the late Kenneth and Lucille Traeger.
Mary Ellen was a member of the St. Francis Solanus Catholic Church in Gresham and worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 21 years. She was a postmaster for Mountain and Keshena before retiring in 1992. After retiring, she began traveling and found her love of the Superstition Mountains, spending the winter months in Arizona, where she loved hiking. She enjoyed sharing her Arizona mountains with anyone she could find to hike with her, especially her friend Sparky.
She spent the summer months back in Gresham, where she enjoyed tending to her flower gardens and spending time at the cottage on Big Lake with her family. Mary Ellen was a great friend to all, a wonderful mother and grandma with a loving heart. She was always there to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed it. She enjoyed nothing more than spending time with, and taking care of, her family and always had something cooking or freshly baked just in case company stopped in.
Mary Ellen is survived by her children, Daniel Zimmerman, of Waterford, Teresa (Patrick) Challe, of Green Bay, Andrew (Kelly) Zimmerman, of Racine, and Melissa (Greg) Trinko, of Shawano; nine grandchildren, Nicholas and Hannah Zimmerman, Jacob and Nathan Challe, Evan Zimmerman, Alisha Burger, Tiffany (Chris) Cuellar, and Thomas and Alexis Trinko; and four great-grandchildren, Jayda, Gavin, Kyleigh and Joanna. She is further survived by a sister, Donna (Vernon) Reinert, of Minnesota; a brother, Kenneth (Mary) Traeger, of Minnesota; a brother-in-law, Robert Sawall, of Appleton; her special friend, Bruce “Sparky” Hayes, of Arizona; and her former husband, David Zimmerman, of Gresham.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Judge Kenneth and Lucille Traeger; a daughter-in-law, Cathy Zimmerman; one sister, Charlene Sawall; and one brother, John Traeger.
Funeral services will be held at noon Saturday, May 31, 2014, at the St. Francis Solanus Catholic Church in Gresham with the Rev. David McElroy, O. Praem, officiating. Visitation will be held at the church on Saturday from 10 a.m. until the time of the service.
Swedberg Funeral Home is assisting the family with the funeral arrangements.
www.swedbergfuneralhome.com
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