OBITUARY: Margaret Hildegarde (Firgens) Zutz

Margaret Hildegarde (Firgens) Zutz was raised by Christ to eternal life on Thursday, March 2, 2017.

She was born to John and Anna Firgens on April 30, 1927 in Breed, Wisconsin where she was raised with her younger sister, Lucille and brother, Rudolph.

She graduated from Oconto Falls High School and attended Bellin Memorial Hospital’s School of Nursing as a member of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps to become a Registered Nurse. “Firgie” happily attended reunions with her classmates.

Margaret met Carl H. Zutz, Jr. while working a shift at the hospital in Green Bay. They were married on January 29, 1949, living first in Manitowoc, and later in Appleton and Madison as their family grew to include seven healthy kids. While raising them Margaret worked third shifts at Theda Clark Hospital in Neenah-Menasha and the University Hospital in Madison. She spent time gardening, sewing, volunteering, bowling, traveling, and baking some pretty wonderful homemade bread. Retirement brought them north to Conover for years on North Twin Lake. Later homes were in Brillion, and the Homme Home in Wittenberg, Wisconsin. Margaret was a strong woman of faith and gave many hours of service to her church, sewing quilts, cooking for confirmation classes and special events, teaching Bible School and a special ed Bible class over many years.

Margaret is survived by her husband of 68 years, Carl, their children John and Edie Zutz, JoAnn and Bob Giese, Carl and Kate McKillip Zutz, Barbara and Craig Benell, Paul Zutz, Elizabeth and Mark Stiller, Karen and John Rendall, her sister Lucille Coppens of Oconto Falls, ten grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A private memorial service will be held at St. Bartholomew Lutheran Church in Brillion, WI with an inurnment in Manitowoc at a later date. We ask friends to direct memorials to the Margaret H. Zutz Scholarship Fund at Bellin School of Nursing, Green Bay, WI. Schmidt & Schulta Funeral Home, Wittenberg is assisting the family with funeral arrangements.  Memories and condolences may be shared at schmidtschulta.com.