Carole Ann

Braatz

Carole Ann Braatz, 86, of Watertown, WI passed away on Thursday, November 23, 2023 at the Rainbow Hospice Inpatient Center in Johnson Creek, WI.

She was born on August 24, 1937 to the late Victor and Vera (Hornickel) Schaefer in Lake Mills, WI.

Carole graduated from Lake Mills High School Class of 1955.

She worked as a typist at the Cremery Package Co where she met and later married Donald "Ducky" Braatz on May 7, 1960 in Lake Mills, WI. He passed away at home, at their long-term residence in Milford, WI on October 14, 1997.

Carole was a stay-at-home mother for many years where she enjoyed raising her two daughters and was always sewing.  She made many of her daughters' younger year's clothing and was known as the Door Stop Chicken Lady, making hundreds of them.  She started working again at Geiger/Brickel (Herman Miller) in the late 1980's as a receptionist and later retired from there as a Seamstress, sewing many fabric and leather wooden chair coverings.  After the passing of Ducky, she enjoyed taking many Bus Trips and Cruises around state and country with several of her friends, especially her lifelong friend Fran (Vandre) Idtse, with whom she began her joy of travelling many years ago on their first vacation together to Florida in 1957.  In more recent years, Carole continued to sew and discovered the love of quilting, which led her to volunteer for the Rainbow Hospice's Quilts of Comfort.

Carole was a lifetime member of the Lake Mills United Methodist Church.

Carole is survived by her daughters, Brenda (Chad) Wesa and Ginger Witzlib; grandchildren Brandon Wesa, Kaitlyn Wesa, Lucius Witzlib and Nadia Witzlib; sisters Sharon (Wayne) Magnussen and Patsy (Bill) Wager; nieces and nephews.

She was also preceded in death by her sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and Michael Braunschweig.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, December 1, 2023 at 2 p.m. at Claussen Funeral Home in Lake Mills.

Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. at the funeral home until the time of services.

Burial will take place at Aztalan-Milford Cemetery immediately following the funeral service.

If desired, memorials may be made to Rainbow Hospice Care.

www.claussenfuneralhome.com