Obituaries

Barbara Ann Wendt, 85, of Westfield, WI, passed away on Sunday, June 23, 2024, at Our House Assisted Living in Chippewa Falls.

Born Barbara Ann Hunkel to Roland and Adele (Volk) Hunkel on February 21, 1939, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she left us on June 23, 2024.

Barbara (“Bubs”) went to Grant Street Elementary, Walker Junior High & South Division High School in Milwaukee, where she met Jim Wendt. They were married Sept 17, 1960, at Gethsemane Lutheran Church.

Before moving to Chippewa Falls in 1972, she worked for Milwaukee Gas Company as their insurance secretary. After the family moved to Chippewa Falls, she worked as a loan secretary at Chippewa Savings and Loan (Anchor Bank) until her retirement.

Barbara was a member of English Lutheran Church of Bateman (ELCB) until 2000, when she and Jim became snowbirds and moved to Westfield, WI and Ft. Myers, FL. Barbara was a member of ELCB’s church choir, their woman’s Faith Circle, and was a member of the altar guild.

Barbara was a very crafty person. She loved to sew quilts, table runners, wall hangings or anything that had a pattern to it. She helped make ELCB’s Chrismon ornaments & made banners to hang in the church. She was also a member of the Holiday Condo sewing club in Fort Myers.

Barbara was very musical. At an early age she played the piano. She sometimes accompanied ELCB’s church choir on the spur of the moment. She would play the Wurlitzer organ at home once in a while, if the kids weren’t playing it. Once they moved from Chippewa Falls, Barbara played clarinet and saxophone in community bands with her husband and dear friends Joanie & Rich Nimmer.

Barbara was everyone’s cheerleader. From cheering on her musical children and grandchildren to cheering on her great-grandson at ball games, she loved seeing her family follow their dreams.

Barbara is survived by her husband, James Wendt; son, Gary Wendt; daughter, Linda (Mike) Downey; grandchildren Tiffany (Dan) DePriest, Sasha (Jason) Spickler; great-grandchildren Jaxon & Kinsley DePriest; sister Marilyn Campbell, nieces, nephews and numerous other relatives & friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents; in-laws, Herbert & Esther Wendt; brothers-in-law, Ken Campbell & Ben Chamberlain; sister-in-law, Jean Chamberlain; and numerous other relatives.

Inurnment will be Saturday, July 27, 2024, at 1:00 pm at Woodlawn Cemetery in Mattoon, Wisconsin. A luncheon will follow at Chet and Emil's in Birnamwood, Wisconsin.

The family would like to thank the incredible staff at Our House Senior Living - Chippewa Falls Assisted Care & Memory Care and Interim Hospice for their outstanding compassion for and dedication to those they care for.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to your local memory care facility are preferred.