Caroline B. Briese

Caroline B. Briese, age 85, from the small town of Green Lake, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, at Prairie Place in Ripon, with her daughter, Jan Briese by her side. She was born on December 27, 1934, in the township of Newton in Marquette County, a daughter of Walter and Emma (Slife) Lange. On November 12, 1955, Caroline married Ervin H. Briese at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake. Just last week they celebrated 65 years of marriage.

During her younger years, Caroline worked at the Golden Horse Ranch cooking and cleaning. Caroline also worked as a nanny and cook for several families prior to being married. She later worked at the Green Lake Public School for 20 years as a cook. She left an impression on many of the children, now adults, who remember her famous homemade bread and pizza to this day. Aside from spending time with her husband and their three children, she was always busy doing crafts, gardening and reading. If you had the pleasure of meeting Caroline, you know that she had a green thumb when it came to gardening and her house plants. Her favorite craft was painting using Tri-Chem and Artex paints. You would often see her artwork on the walls and the refrigerator. 

Those Caroline leaves behind to cherish her memory include her husband, Ervin Briese of Ripon; sons, Scott (Jan) Briese of Green Lake, Steve (Connie) Briese of Ripon; daughter-in-law, Sandy Briese of Oshkosh. While they did not have any biological daughters, Jan was often referred to as the daughter they never had. Caroline is further survived by her grandchildren, Andrea and Amber Briese of Green Lake, Nathan (Alli) Briese and Hilary (Andy) Briese of Oshkosh, Rebecca (Craig) Scherer of Neenah, Lisa (Joe) Failla of Arizona, Beth (Mike) Miller of Oshkosh; 12 great grandchildren; sister, Kathy (Hank) Rivera of Brandon; sister-in-law, Marilyn Lange of Westfield; and many other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Emma (Slife) Lange; her oldest son, Ron Briese; siblings, Elenora Juhnke, Eddie Lange, Doris Marquardt, and infant sister; Lillian Lange.

A private funeral service for Caroline B. Briese will be held on Tuesday, November 24, 2020, at the Wachholz and Sons Funeral Home, 303 Harvard St., in Princeton. Pastor Nick Haasch will officiate. Caroline will be laid to rest following the service in the Dartford Cemetery in Green Lake. Please visit our website www.wachholzandsons.com to send a condolence or to share a memory of Caroline with her family. In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established at Peace Lutheran Church, 440 Lake Street, Green Lake, WI 54941.

The family of Caroline Briese would like to thank the caring staff at Prairie Place in Ripon, for all the wonderful care they provided to Caroline during the 6 years she resided there. We would also like to thank Dr. Bert Callahan and Dr. Haydar Saleh and the staff at the Ripon Medical Center for the exceptional care they provided.

Wachholz and Sons Funeral Home

Sunset Cremation Center in Princeton

Serving the Family, 920-295-6631

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