Kathleen Joan Spence (McClone), age 70, of Bear Creek, WI died Friday, May 6 following complications from an infection. She was surrounded by the love and prayers of her family.
Katie was born January 29, 1946 in Green Bay, and was the daughter of Joseph and Katherine Mc Clone. She went to St. Mary’s grade school and graduated from Bear Creek High School in 1964. While raising her children she acquired both an Associate degree in Business Administration and a license as real estate broker. Katie married William James Spence on November 13, 1965 and was blessed to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Together they raised four daughters while running Spence’s Market in Bear Creek. She worked multiple jobs throughout her life as a telephone operator, Outagamie County and Bear Creek Village Boards, real estate broker, bus driver, a customer service representative and volunteer at St. Mary Parish. However, in her most important roles in life as wife, mother and grandmother, she excelled the most. Katie loved being in the kitchen making Sunday brunch, strawberry jam and providing after school snacks for her children, the neighbors and most recently her grandchildren. She enjoyed all sports including the Packers and Badger basketball and rarely ever missed her girl’s or a grandchild’s sporting events. Katie loved the annual Spence bike trip where she would map out the meeting places for the sag wagon, take pictures and afterward meticulously document each trip in a photo scrap book.
Kathleen is survived by her husband, William; four children: Jacqueline (Tim) Nielson, Clintonville; Jennifer (Rob) Bultman, Wauwatosa; Jodi Spence (Michele Last) Appleton ; Janet Huebner (Jesse Abbey) Weyauwega; grandchildren: Jessica Suprise (Coty Van Lannen), Jillisa (Joe) Zilk, Jenelle Surprise (Nick Lehmann), Spencer Bultman (Serah Jackson), Mitchell Bultman (Amy Bahr), Nicholas and Anna Huebner and Kylie an Kaleb Abbey; brother, Joseph (Mary) McClone, Waupaca; nephews, Patrick (Teri) McClone and Casey (Nicole) McClone; Anthony (Heather) Spence, Ben Spence; aunt, Marjorie Olk and family; brothers and sisters-in-law: Sister Stephanie Spence, Stan Spence (Catherine Fontanazza), Robert (Sue) Spence, Pamela Spence; sisters in spirit, Sister Carmelyn Gentrup and Gail Swanke; and her friends, the Bear Creek Cheerleaders. She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Katherine and father and mother-in-law, Melvin and Vivian Spence.
The Funeral Mass for Kathleen will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bear Creek with Rev. Jack Mullarkey officiating. Burial will be in the parish cemetery. A visitation for Kathleen will be held on Monday from 4-7 p.m. at the Cline & Hanson Funeral Home in New London and on Tuesday at the church from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service. A prayer service for Kathleen will be held at 6:00 p.m. Monday evening at the funeral home.