Mae Herman passed from this life peacefully at her Kenosha home in the care of her loved ones on Nov. 5, 2016.
Her deep faith in God helped to sustain her in her yearlong fight against cancer. Her family is comforted in the knowledge that she has entered eternal life and that her suffering is no more.
Born Mavis Clara Fischer on May 31, 1937, in Cecil, she was the first daughter of Carl and Ida Fischer. She graduated from Bonduel High School in 1955 and married her high school sweetheart Myron L. (Mike) Herman on July 27, 1957.
Their faith led the Hermans to Papua New Guinea, a mountainous island nation in the South Pacific, where they worked as agricultural missionaries. They returned to the United States in 1980, moving to Kenosha the following year when
Mike Herman became the Kenosha County agriculture agent. Mae began working as a district representative for Aid Association for Lutherans, one of the first women to enter the traditionally male profession.
She became a top producer and very involved in the insurance organization’s fraternal activities. Mae was instrumental in fundraising for AAL member churches, also starting the annual quilt auction for Lutherdale Ministries in Elkhorn, which grew into its biggest fundraising event.
Her charitable activities also included the Goodfellows, Outreach Center, Lord of Life congregation start-up, the Shalom Center, and countless other actions that helped to improve the lives of others.
In 2001, she became the right-hand man in her husband’s real estate practice, managing operations for M & M Rental Properties, the business they ran together until illness forced her to step away.
Mae is remembered as a strong woman who wasn’t afraid to take on impossible projects or break glass ceilings. She possessed an amazingly quick sense of humor and a great, hearty, cackling laugh. She also was an amazing cook who loved to feed her family and friends, as well as a stylish lady who did her best to support local retail establishments, especially her favorite, Marshalls. She also was known to make a beeline to any T.J. Maxx store she encountered.
She and her husband traveled to many places, and they shared their 50th wedding anniversary with their children and grandchildren on a cruise.
Mae is survived by her husband; her sister, Judith Manthei, of Cecil; her sisters-in-law, Deloris Fischer, of Little Chute, Elaine (Julius) Wnuk and Audrey (Lyle) Wussow, both of Bonduel; and Gloria (Dave) Brensike, of Appleton.
She is further survived by her four children, Alison (David) Jordan, of Kenosha, Timm (Helen), of Ellicottville, New York, Joseph (Linda), of Snohomish, Washington, and Angela (C. Michael) Buckley, of Cazenovia, New York; 14 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Donald; and her brother-in-law, Ken Manthei.
The family would like to thank Kristen and Louis Piehl of Bruch Funeral Home for their compassionate help, as well as the staff of the Hospice Alliance and family friend Carol Johnson, who helped tend to Mae in her final days.
Arrangements were private.
The family is planning a celebration of life service to honor Mae’s legacy in early 2017.
Memorials may be made to Lutherdale Ministries (www.lutherdale.org).
Visit Mae’s online memorial book at www.bruchfuneralhome.net.
Bruch Funeral Home, 3503 Roosevelt Road, Kenosha, is assisting the family.