Evelyn D. Acker

Evelyn Acker was born on September 24, 1914 in Milwaukee. She was the third child of Herman and Agnes Searing. Evelyn was a graduate of St. Anthony Grade School and then of South Division High School where she was the salutatorian in the class of 1928. She married Benjamin Acker on September 7, 1935 at Sacred Hearts Church in Franklin, Wis. Following the marriage she took up residence on the Acker homestead farm. There she adjusted to the rigors of life as the wife of a dairy farmer. During her married life she gave birth to nine children: Rev. Karl, Allan (Jeanette), Duane (Dorothy), Muriel (Donald) Bergeron, Ordell Woltz, Delores (Robert) Becker, Judith (James) Oesau, Janice and David. She is further survived by 28 grandchildren, 36 great- grandchildren, 6 great-great grandchildren as well as sisters-in-law Ruth, Bessie, and Louise Searing, brother-in-law Keith Splude and many nieces and nephews. When not engaged in her responsibilities as wife and mother, she delighted in the simpler joys of life: church events, family gatherings on the holidays, family and/or neighborhood picnics and card games (preferably sheephead, five hundred or sixty six). Being a people person, she participated in card games more as a way to enhance social interrelationships than as an opportunity for competition. Win or lose, it was a great time when the conversation was interesting and the latest news was shared. TV was of little interest, though she enjoyed Wheel of Fortune and delighted in solving the puzzle before the contestant could. She played golf only once and that was an adventure but could get excited watching it on TV and seeing a putt heading for the hole and then becoming dismayed if it somehow found a way around it. In 1980 she and her husband moved from the farm home to a new home built on a parcel cut from the farm for their retirement years. The farm was then sold to her son. After the death of her husband in 1991, she continued to enjoy living independently in the comfort and security of her home until December of 2008. By this time her health had deteriorated and it was in her best interest to reside in an assisted living facility. She became a resident of Clement Manor and benefited from the wonderful care provided there. Her feisty disposition and lively sense of humor left an impression on her caregivers on the Francis Haven wing. Having lived a full and contented life, she died peacefully on February 12th in her Clement Manor apartment. Her Funeral Liturgy will be celebrated in St. Martin of Tours Church, Franklin at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 19. Visitation will take place on Friday, February 18th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Max A. Sass Mission Hills Funeral Chapel and again on Saturday in the church from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow in the parish cemetery. Prayer service Friday 7 pm. Her family suggests that in lieu of flowers memorial donations in her name be given to St. Martin of Tours Parish or to the School Sisters of St. Francis.