Crawford Funeral Home

06/04/2026

Francis "Bernie" Morin

Francis “Bernie” B. Morin, age 88 of Oxford passed away Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at The Rivers Assisted Living in Portage. Bernie was born in Ontonagon, Michigan to Eldren “Bing” and Grace (Yaklovich) Morin on August 9, 1937. He graduated from Nathan Hale High School and proudly served his country as a member of the United States Naval Reserves. Bernie married Bonnie Brackett on April 18, 1959 at St. Matthias Catholic Church in West Allis; together they worked and lived in West Allis until relocating to Marquette County in 1963. Bonnie preceded Bernie in death on August 6, 2017.

Bernie was a cowboy at heart; he loved everything about horses. He was a skilled machinist who operated the Montello Machine Shop. Bernie spent many years in law enforcement and later retired from FCI Oxford. He will be remembered as a man of strong Christian Faith who loved his family.

Bernie is survived by four children: Paul (Barbara) of Eden Prairie, MN, Ginny Morin of Richfield, MN, Christopher (Julia) of Elroy and Kim Morin of Ripon as well as four grandchildren: Jessica, Eric, Jennifer and Sarah and three great-grandchildren: Mallory, Aubrey and Natalie.

Bernie is preceded in death by his parents, wife, Bonnie, daughter, Anne Morin and sister, Doreen “Toots” Benda.

A memorial service for Bernie Morin will be held on Saturday, June 27, 2026 at 11:00 AM at the Crawford Funeral Home in Oxford. Visitation will be held from 9:00 AM until the hour of service. Pastor Marci Nichols will preside and private family inurnment will take place at a later date at Underhill Cemetery, Town of Packwaukee. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Cowboys For Christ, PO Box 7557 Fort Worth, TX 76111.

Crawford Funeral and Cremation Service of Oxford and Montello is honored to be serving the family. www.CrawfordFH.com

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06/03/2026

Shelley Freitag-Dufour

Shelley Sue Freitag-Dufour, age 69 of Montello passed away Tuesday, June 2, 2026 at UW Hospital in Madison with her husband by her side. Shelley was born on November 24, 1956 to Donald and Geraldine (Kusick) Freitag in Portage. She was raised in Montello and graduated from Montello High School in 1975. Shelley furthered her education at Madison Area Technical College earning a degree in Dental Hygiene; throughout were career she worked for several area dentists. In 1982, she Richard “Dick” Dufour and the two were united in marriage on October 1, 1983 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Montello. Together they have always resided in Montello and were blessed with one daughter, Genevieve who passed in 2017.

Shelley was an avid reader and loved to travel. She always looked forward to spending time with family and friends. Shelley will be remembered for her warm heart and how much she cared for her family and her friends. She was always there to help when it was needed.

Shelley is survived by her husband of 42 years, Dick and siblings: Scott (Cher) Freitag of Montello, Sally Freitag of Wautoma, Stacy Freitag of Montello and Shawn Freitag of Sun Prairie. She is also survived by brother-in-law, D. Robert (Mary) Dufour of Phoenix, AZ and sister-in-law, Christine (James) Jensen of Muskego as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Shelley is preceded in death by her parents and daughter, Genevieve.

A Mass of Christian Burial for Shelley Freitag-Dufour will be held on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at 11:00 AM at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Montello. Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 4:00 until 7:00 PM at the Crawford Funeral Home in Montello. A Rosary Service will conclude the visitation. Visitation will also take place on Wednesday at the church one hour before Mass. Father Savio Yerasani will preside and burial will follow the service at the Montello City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations are preferred to Montello Public Schools.

Crawford Funeral and Cremation Service of Montello and Oxford is honored to be serving the family. www.CrawfordFH.com

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06/03/2026

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05/27/2026

Patricia Barron

Patricia “Pat” A. Barron, age 89 of Endeavor passed away Monday, May 25, 2026 at her home surrounded by family. Pat was born in Rockford, Illinois on March 26, 1937 to Miles and Ethel (Florey) Aurand. She was united in marriage to William “Sonny” Barron at her parent’s home outside of Montello on June 18, 1955 and together they were blessed with 65 years of marriage and three children. Sonny preceded Pat in death on January 18, 2021.

Pat farmed alongside her husband and cared for family. She was an Elvis fan and enjoyed her many trips to Graceland and family trip to Branson. She will be remembered for baking cookies and enjoyed playing card games with her grandchildren.

Pat is survived by three children: William Jr. “Butch” of Reedsburg, Cheryl (Gary) Stevens of Endeavor and Rosalie (Duane Atkinson) Barron of Montello as well as 12 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and 9 great-great-grandchildren. She is also survived be her sister, Diane (Mark) Hintz of Oxford, sister-in-law, Jackie Livingston of Iowa and many extended family members.

Pat is preceded in death by her parents, daughter-in-law, Carol Barron, son-in-law, Guy Ellis, great-grandson, Parker Braatz, siblings: Henry, Ronald (Mary), Randy, Bud, Judy, Joyce, Ellen and Betty and brother-in-law, Irv Krueger.

A visitation for Patricia Barron will be held on Saturday, June 6, 2026 from 9:00 until 11:00 AM at the Crawford Funeral Home in Montello. A graveside service led by Pastor Cotter will immediately follow the visitation at Oak Hill Cemetery, Town of Packwaukee. In lieu of flowers, donations are preferred to the family.

Crawford Funeral and Cremation Service of Oxford and Montello is honored to be serving the family. www.CrawfordFH.com

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05/27/2026

Thank you to our amazing community and families for trusting us and allowing us to be there in your time of need. We’re lucky to have you!

05/23/2026

Ruth Stoltz

Ruth Gladys Stoltz, age 79 of Portage passed away on Thursday, May 21, 2026. Ruth was born on September 19, 1946 to Clarence and Madeline (Goodwin) Holden in Wisconsin Rapids. She was one of 19 children. Ruth married Jack Stoltz on November 11, 1995 in Dane and they were blessed with 20 years of marriage until his passing in 2015.

Ruth was an avid reader who enjoyed gardening, canning, making jams and salsas as well as jigsaw puzzles, crosswords and listening to classical and country music.

Ruth is survived by her two children: Shelly Vaught, her husband Tom, Stacy Horsfall, his wife Kim, as well as two granddaughters: Emma and Piper Vaught and step-granddaughter, Hayleigh Ackley and her fiancé Tyrique Dampier. She is also survived by her sisters: Marcella, Doris, Caroline, Karen, Rosemary and Linda and by her brother, Donald, along with many extended family members as well as Emily Bates who was like a granddaughter to her. She will be greatly missed by her faithful canine companion Bingo. She was also very close with the Amish community.

Ruth is preceded in death by her parents, her sister Lutrell “Pinky” and brothers: Walter, Eudell “Junior”, Alvy, Raymond, Thomas, Jack, Russel, Jesse “Joe”, Lyle and Rodger.

A funeral service for Ruth Stoltz will be held on Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at 12:00 PM at the Crawford Funeral Home in Montello. Visitation will be held from 10:00 AM until the hour of service. Pastor Mike Vargo will preside and Ruth will be laid to rest next to her husband at Central Wisconsin Veteran’s Cemetery at King following the service.

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to SSM Hospice, especially Ruth’s favorite nurses Daelen and Melonie, her favorite CNA Tiki and Dr. LoConte, and to Visiting Angels, particularly Ruthie, who all became an extension of the family for their compassionate care and support of Ruth and her loved ones. Their dedication made it possible for Ruth to remain in her home during her final days, fulfilling her greatest wish.

Crawford Funeral and Cremation Service of Montello and Oxford is honored to be serving the family. www.CrawfordFH.com

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05/22/2026

Robert Conrad

Robert “Bob” F. Conrad, age 70 of Montello (formerly of Mequon) passed away at his home on Friday, May 15, 2026. Bob was born on August 28, 1955 to Forrest and Ellna (Brunke) Conrad in Milwaukee. Raised in Mequon and he graduated from Homestead High School and worked construction for many years. Bob resided in Milwaukee until relocated in rural Montello in 2008.

Bob is survived by his son, Christopher (Shannon) Shepherd and grandchildren: Jasmine and Kai. He is also survived by two sisters: Ann Conrad-Schoemer and Diane (Peter) Stanich and his cousin, Kay (Tim) Daley.

Bob is preceded in death by his parents and brother-in-law, Paul Schoemer.

No services will be held.

Crawford Funeral and Cremation Service of Montello and Oxford is honored to be serving the family. www.CrawfordFH.com

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05/20/2026

05/17/2026

Thomas Alex Stempniak

Thomas Alex Stempniak, age 82 of Montello, passed away on Friday, May 15, 2026 at UW Hospital in Madison following a car accident. He was born on April 25, 1944 at Saint Anthony Hospital in Chicago, IL to Alex and Valaria (Ball) Stempniak. Tom attended St. Ignatius Prep School and served his country with the U.S. Army in Korea. He married Carol Krentz at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Montello on February 27, 1971. Together they raised three daughters.

Tom was an offset printer in both Illinois and at Litho Productions in Madison for more than 30 years. He loved to show his classic cars and was known for his 1962 red corvette. He also loved to hunt and camp out west but most of all he loved his family.

Tom is survived by his wife of 55 years, Carol; three daughters, Dr. Angela (Philip) Femali, Amy (Jesse) Ruth and Andi Stempniak; four grandchildren, Alexander, Chloe, Joey and Kate; brother-in-law, Jim (Doreen) Kelly; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Maryanne; in laws, Ernest and Adelaide Krentz and brother-in-law, Kenneth Krentz.

A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial for Tom will be held on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Montello with Father Savio Yerasani officiating. Inurnment with military honors will follow the Mass at St. John the Baptist Cemetery. A visitation will be held on Thursday from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. at the church.

Crawford Funeral and Cremation Service of Montello and Oxford is honored to be serving the family. www.CrawfordFH.com

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05/17/2026

Karen Edith Scott

Karen Edith (Peterson) Scott, age 61 of Montello, passed away on Friday, May 15, 2026, at Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital in Portage. Karen was born on May 27, 1964, the daughter of Ivan and Shirley (Larson) Peterson. She was raised in Madison and graduated from Madison East High School in 1982. Karen married the love of her life Ken Scott on June 4, 2005. Karen loved life, family, and spending time with her son John and his wife Hannah. She also loved embarking on many Caribbean cruises with Ken, restoring old wooden furniture into beautiful works of art, tinkering in her flower gardens and looking for treasures in thrift stores with her sister Cindy.

Karen is survived by her husband Ken of Montello, son John (Hannah) Yager of Janesville, step children Shaun Scott and Lindsay Pansier of Waupun, Todd Scott of Barlow, Kentucky, Moranda (Jason) Gamberini of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Tori Scott and Graham Puckett of Barlow, Kentucky, eight step grandchildren, her fur babies Bailey, Callie and Sadie, her sisters Sandy Rick (Chuck Wirth) of Madison, Cindy Butler of Montello, Rhonda (John) Alley of Madison, brother Kevin (Shirley) Peterson of Madison, many nieces, nephews and other family members. She was preceded in death by her parents and nephew Casey Alley.

The family would like to thank the staff of Agrace especially Stacy, Becky and Katrina for their compassion and gentle care throughout Karen’s illness.

A private visitation was held on Sunday, May 17, 2026 at Crawford Funeral Home in Montello.

Crawford Funeral and Cremation Service of Montello and Oxford is honored to be serving the family. www.CrawfordFH.com

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