Audrey Raitio (nee Berndt), age 91, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 29, 2014, at the Wisconsin Veterans’ Home-King. Family members surrounded Audrey in her final days.
She was born on June 7, 1923, in Wisconsin Rapids to Ewald and Cora Berndt. She attended Girls Tech High School in Milwaukee, Wis. She married the late George Raitio of Mellen, Wis., in 1946, and raised four children. Audrey owned a successful furniture refinishing business in Milwaukee and later taught furniture refinishing at Cudahy Vocational School and MATC’s South Campus. As one of many hobbies, she applied her skilled sewing ability to making quilts and worked with the Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church quilting group. She was a voracious reader, reading several books a week, and even when her eyesight failed her, she continued to read with audiobooks from Books for the Blind. Audrey and George retired to Inverness, Florida, for 20 years before returning to Wisconsin to live at the Wisconsin Veterans’ Home in King.
She is preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, George, her son Marvin, her brother Fred Berndt, and sister Marion Ludin. She is survived by sisters: Joyce Werginz, Shirley Zinda; daughters: Annette Haag (Scott), Lauri Gerlach (Michael), Suzanne (Ron), and grandchildren: Scott Jr., Sara, Jessie (Willow), Chris (Amber), Allison (Aric) Eric (Monica) and Doug (Erica) and great-grandchildren, Holly and Rose. The family wishes to give their sincere thanks to the caring staff at Kings Veteran Home. Audrey’s final days were peaceful and comfortable.
Visitation and services will be held Sunday, August 10, at 1 pm at the Veterans’ Home Chapel in King, Wis. Maples Crest Funeral Home of Waupaca is serving the family. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be given to National Parkinson’s Foundation or American Macular Degeneration Foundation.