LuAnne Schurk

LuAnne Schurk, age 85, of Neshkoro, passed away on Thursday, December 13, 2018 at Heartland House of Wautoma.  She was born on March 19, 1933 in Chicago, IL.  LuAnne was the daughter of Irvin & Margaret (Haddick) Miller. On June 9, 1951, she married the love of her life, James Schurk.  LuAnne & Jim settled in the suburbs of Chicago where they raised their 7 children. LuAnne was a stay at home mom & was a talented seamstress, making a lot of her children’s clothes. In the early 1970’s LuAnne & Jim visited the Montello area & fell in love with rural Wisconsin life.  In 1973, they sold their home in the city & moved their family to an 80-acre farm on the outskirts of Neshkoro, which is still the family farmhouse.

LuAnne was a very social person & made everyone she met feel welcomed & loved. She was quick to smile, the first to offer a hug & had an infectious laugh. She was a devote member of St. James Catholic, served as an Eucharistic minister & belonged to the Council of Catholic Women’s group. She was an original & founding member of the Neshkoro Lioness Club, holding many different office positions throughout the years.  LuAnne also enjoyed a bowling league at City Rec Lanes in Wautoma.  She was a very talented artist and enjoyed painting, crafting, & quilting. She was a member of the Rural Rembrandts in the Wautoma area & of The Pine Tree Needlers Quilting Guild. Her children, grandchildren & friends will always cherish her works of art that she gifted to them. She also appreciated gardening & canning & was active in the Garden Club. Often times, you could find LuAnne helping out at her daughter Lyn’s business, Lunch Creek Winery.  She loved giving tours of the vineyard & enjoyed sharing her knowledge of Wisconsin wines with all the guests.  Many friendships evolved through the Winery & LuAnne enjoyed sharing a glass of Frontenac wine with them occasionally.  One of her favorite times of the year was Christmas.  She loved the season of giving & spreading joy to all.  Numerous years, if she knew of a family or friend that could not make it home for the holiday, she would invite them to her family’s celebration.

LuAnne will be deeply missed by her husband of 67 years, James; six children, Susan (Tom) Murphy, James (Susan) Schurk, Carol (Bruce) Girdauskas, Thomas (Rose Knaup) Schurk, Nancy Iding, & Lyn (Paul Kornaus) Jones; 11 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, one sister; Mary Schmehl; two sisters-in-law, Lynn Miller & Marie Mueller; nieces, nephews & numerous friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her son, John Schurk & her brother, John Miller.

A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at St. James Catholic Church in Neshkoro. Burial will follow in the parish cemetery. Relatives and friends may greet the family on Tuesday at the church from 9:30 a.m. until the time of services.