Leona Rothe

Leona E. Rothe, 76, of Howards Grove, passed away Sunday, August 18, 2013 at Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center after a year long battle with lung cancer. Leona was born November 9, 1936 in Sheboygan, to the late Lloyd and Esther (Bebermeier) Hitsman. She graduated from Kiel High School in 1954. Leona was employed by the Kohler Company for 43 years as a water tester. On February 1, 1958, she married Frank Rothe. Leona loved to go shopping, spending time at the trailer in Little Sturgeon Bay, fishing in the summer and ice fishing in the winter with friends. She also enjoyed tending to her flowers in the summer and just being outside, even clipping lawn. In addition to her husband, Frank, she is survived by six siblings, Harriet Spindler, Lucille Schuh, Barbara Goodrich, Duane (Betty) Hitsman, Ray (Nancy) Hitsman and Mary (Floyd) Bowlin. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two brothers and three sisters. A funeral service for Leona will be held on Wednesday, August 21, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. at Zimmer's Westview Funeral and Cremation Care Center (Hwy 42 & JJ, Howards Grove) with Pastor Dan Krueger of St. Peter UCC Kiel officiating. Friends may call on Wednesday, at the funeral home, from 3:00 p.m. until the time of service. Entombment will be Thursday at 11:00 a.m. at the Garden of Peace Mausoleum (6707 Superior Avenue, Kohler). In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Leona's name. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Santhosh Kumar and the staff of the Vince Lombardi Cancer Center and the 3rd floor staff of Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center for their care and comfort.