Peshtigo Times
01-19-2005

AnnaBelle C. Colson
A Funeral Mass for AnnaBelle C. Colson, 87, of Marinette, was held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 17, at Holy Family Parish-Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Marinette. Rev. Fr. Joseph Dorner officiated with burial in St. Michael’s Cemetery in Suring.

She died on Thursday, Jan. 13.

The former Anna Barbara Christine Phillippi was born in Hayes, outside of Suring, on July 5, 1917. As a young teen her mother, Barbara, died and she left school to help raise her younger siblings and run the household for her father, Joseph. After her father remarried, she worked as a nurse’s aide at the hospital in Keshena, and married Orville Colson in 1935. She lived for two years in Oconto before moving back to the farm. When her father spent time in the logging camps, she went along to cook for the lumberjacks.

In the early 1940’s she worked as a cook at the hospital in Keshena, and after her divorce lived and worked in Milwaukee, Oconto and Marinette. She began working in Marinette at the former Pete Georgelan’s Cafe, then became head cook when Bernard Schriener bought the business and changed the name to Schreiner’s Restaurant. When Schreiner’s was sold to Tom Schloegel, she stayed on to cook for both Schloegel restaurants in Marinette and Menominee. After 33 years as head cook, many of her recipes still remain with Schloegel’s of Menominee and Schreiner’s of Fond du Lac.

Besides her cooking abilities, she earned a Practical Nursing Certificate through a correspondence course, was a self-taught knitter, and enjoyed music, dancing, reading and politics. She contributed many of her knitted items for church bazaars and charities.

After retiring, she asked the pastor of what was then St. Anthony’s Catholic Church if she could use the church basement to start a “Meals for the Needy” program because she felt too much food was going to waste in the community. The program was a success and the tradition is still carried on by the people of the Salvation Army.

In the fall of 1995, fighting a losing battle with Alzheimer’s, she entered the New Care Nursing Home in Crivitz.

Survivors include three children, (living); 14 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; one brother, Martin (Mabel) Philippi; a sister, Mary Januchowski; three sisters-in-law, Mary Philippi, Pat Philippi and Stella Philippi; many other relatives and friends.

Memorials are appreciated to New Care Nursing Home, P.O. Box 460, Crivitz, WI 54114-0460.

Hansen-Onion-Martell Funeral Home of Marinette assisted the family with arrangements.