Priscilla "Percy"

E. (Knight) Heussner

Priscilla "Percy" Evelyn Heussner was born July 26, 1943, in Petoskey, Michigan, the youngest daughter of Ruby and Melvin Knight. She grew up alongside her sisters, Mary Lee and Daeann, in a small house behind her grandparents' home, where she formed a lasting bond with her grandmother. Her childhood was filled with simple joys — pretend rides on a neighbor's backyard carousel horse, playful "gunfights" with her sister, weekly trips to the movie theater, her grandmother's sugar cookies, and picnics with her mother on the shore of Little Traverse Bay.

When Percy was nine, her father accepted a job at Crepaco, and the family moved to Fort Atkinson. She graduated from Fort Atkinson High School in 1961, the first of three generations in her family to do so. While still a student, she won a statewide stenography competition and, after graduation, put those award-winning skills to work as a secretary.

That same year she met the love of her life, Carl Edward Heussner. Carl was struck by her red hair; Percy, by his aqua-blue Ford. She eventually bought the car from him, leading her children to joke she married him to get out of the payments.

Carl proposed to Percy by pulling an unboxed engagement ring from underneath the floor mat, and the two married on Dec. 28, 1961, when he was home on Christmas leave from the military.

In a few short years Percy was a young mother of five: Christine, Melanie, Cathy, Bill, and Ben. She once sewed matching plaid outfits for all seven family members (it was the '70s, after all) and served as a Cub Scout leader, helping her boys build pinewood derby cars and rain gutter regatta boats still treasured today.

Her children fondly remember her creative meals like mackerel loaf (salmon being too expensive), yellow rice, and a hot dish with chow mein noodles. Of course there were also her true specialties like beef stroganoff, baked chicken, and homemade pickles so good they were traded at school for potato chips. Her kids remember, too, the joy of choosing a favorite meal and cake for their birthdays (and a reprieve from doing dishes on their special days).

Percy was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church for nearly six decades. In her early years she was active with the women's ministry, and later she loved singing in the choir. She lived her faith with sincerity and humility, never judging but always leading with kindness and an understanding smile.

As all who knew her can attest, once church let out, Sundays were for the Packers. She never missed a game, planning meals and family outings around kickoff, hauling TV sets to picnic shelters and church basements, and cheering on the green and gold with her light-up necklace and a toy dog that burst into music and dance after every touchdown.

Percy liked to watch NASCAR (mostly for the crashes), crime shows, and Days of Our Lives. She delighted in the birds at her feeder and the seasonal blooms of the peonies in her yard. She played intense games of Scrabble and savored Culver's turtle sundaes. (Family knew better than to interrupt her when she was enjoying one).

One of Percy's true gifts was her artistry. She first enrolled in a community college art class to explore her interests outside the home. She began with acrylics, then pen and ink, watercolors, and ultimately fell in love with colored pencils.

As a life member of the Black Hawk Artists, she was known for her skill and persistence. She loved the Impressionists and Georgia O'Keeffe, whom she credited with influencing her own artistic style.

Her art was displayed locally and regionally, including a gallery in Milwaukee. She was honored with a retrospective exhibit at the Hoard Historical Museum in Fort Atkinson and won first place in 2023 in the museum's professional division of its annual show.

A life member of the Colored Pencil Society of America, her family took great pride in seeing her work published three times in its annual book, especially the year one of her pieces was chosen for the cover. Over the years she created and sold hundreds of pieces, turning her art into personal fulfillment and sharing her love of beauty with countless others.

When multiple sclerosis limited the use of her right hand, she practiced signing her name with her left over and over until she developed enough dexterity to return to her craft. Her determination kept her creating as the MS progressed, from colored pencils to computer images and collage.

Each year, friends and family — even friends of friends — eagerly awaited her whimsical Christmas cards, which transformed the Heussners into nutcrackers, carolers, ice skaters, and more. Holidays at her home carried that same spirit of joy, with an open invitation to extended family and in-laws alike. She was known for thoughtful gifts, especially for her grandchildren, always choosing something just right for their ages and interests.

Percy received every gesture of care with gratitude and rarely complained, no matter the circumstance. Her family admired her toughness and her remarkable positivity regardless of the situation. You could say she was a tough cookie — sweet, but resilient.

She never uttered a curse word, and she certainly never said an unkind one. (She could, however, get spirited in political discussions, proving kindness and conviction can go hand in hand.)

When Carl passed in 2013, Percy found solace and strength in her faith and family and enjoyed many joyful years with her children and grandchildren: Christine Yeager and grandchildren Jessica and David; Melanie (Tim) Jensen and Melanie's twins Billy (Riley) Wallace and Bailey Wallace; Cathy (Tom) Hannes and granddaughter Willow; Bill (Beth) Heussner and grandson Grant; and Ben (Trina) Heussner and their children Nolan, Carson, and Daisy.

Her sisters Mary Lee (Dick) Poyer and Daeann (Eddie) Kufahl as well as sisters-in-law Carol Wright (Carl's twin) and Betty (Dave) Waldmann and brother-in-law Daniel (Joyce) Heussner will miss her kind heart greatly.

Not surprisingly, Percy had many lifelong friends. Over the past year she was especially blessed with caregivers who became like family — Pam, Sarai, Tiffeny, Adriana, Miriam, Kendra, and Barb. Their dedication allowed her to remain in the home she loved. Barb, by her side for 14 years, became one of her dearest friends.

In their sorrow, her loved ones take comfort knowing she is now running and dancing and reunited with her beloved Carl; her parents; sister-in-law Joan Weiser; and brothers-in-law Robert Heussner and Ronald (Joyce) Heussner. Her family looks forward to her visiting them in their dreams and through signs and to knowing she's still celebrating every Packers touchdown from above.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 26, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1660 Endl Blvd. in Fort Atkinson. Friends may call from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25, at St. Joseph Catholic Church and again on Friday from 10 a.m. at the church until the time of service. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, with a celebration of life afterward at the church.

Memorials may be made to Rainbow Hospice and St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Fort Atkinson.

www.claussenfuneralhome.com