Louise Mathilde Bryhan

Luise “Louise” Mathilde Bryhan 100 years of Green Bay, WI formerly of Grafton, went home to her Heavenly Father on June 25, 2012. Louise was born September 3, 1911 in Gondsroth, Bavaria, Germany. In 1923 , sponsored by her mother’s uncle Johan Dotter, of Tomahawk, WI, her father Franz immigrated to the USA and found temporary work at the Fred Pabst Horse Farms. After earning enough wages, he was able to bring his family to Milwaukee to live in an apartment building where he was the caretaker. At age 12, Louise, along with her mother and two sisters, Else “Elise” and Emilie “Emily”, sailed to Ellis Island, NY, arriving in March 1924, where they boarded a train to Milwaukee to be joyfully reunited with Franz. Later, her father became a machinist at Loggeman Brothers, and his last job was a boiler man at Schlitz Brewery. Her mother found work cleaning houses. When Louise lived in Grafton, WI, and after her children were married, she became a Nurse’s Assistant for 16 years for the former St. Alphonsus Hospital (now St. Mary’s) in Port Washington. Preceded in death are her parents Franz and Regine (nee Dotter) Roessler, husband Elmer C. Bryhan, Jr., son, Theodore L. Malnick, daughter Nanette (Billy) Colliver, grandson David Franz Gray, sons-in-law Frederick Hoffmann, Thomas Smith, Sr., sisters Emily Krueger Malwitz, and Elsie Sell, brothers-in-law Frank Sell, Paul Krueger, Sr, William Malwitz, Glenn W. Bertram, Eldon Bryhan, Donald Bryhan, sisters-in-law Louise (Eldon) Bryhan, Evelyn (Glenn) Bertram, and Caroline (Donald) Bryhan, nephews Walter (Carol) Krueger, Paul (Arleen) Krueger and Robert (Elizabeth) Sell. Survivors include her daughters Regina (Roger) Fisher of NM, Rosalie Smith of WI, and Carol-Leisa Gray of NY, 7 grandchildren; Bart Colliver of MO, Corey (Charlotte) Colliver of MT, Thomas Smith of WI, Bronson Smith of WI, Cynthia (Bradley) Rodabaugh of IL, Jennifer (Paul) Schroeder of WI and Nathan Gray of WI, 5 great grandchildren; Georgina Smith, Ace Rodabaugh, Jessica Gray, Nicholas Schroeder and Ian Colliver, 4 nephews of the Krueger family; Rudy (Barbara) of MA, Kurt (Helene), Richard (Coralee), Dennis (Dawn) all of WI, niece and godchild JoAnn (Erick) Diewock of AR. Louise is further survived by brothers-in-law Dale (Marietta) Bryhan of TX, Norman (Ruth) Bryhan of WI, Ralph (Sharon) Bryhan of IL, and sister –in-law, Gladys (Donald) Lang of WI, and many other relatives in the USA and Germany. Louise will be greatly missed by her family and friends. The family gives special thanks to the nursing staff at Harmony Assisted Living Center in Green Bay for their loving care since May 2006. In lieu of flowers, family requests memorial contributions to be sent to Alzheimer’s Association or to St. Paul Lutheran Church 701 Washington St. Grafton, WI. Funeral services will be held on Friday June 29, 11 AM at Mueller Funeral Home & Crematory 979 N. Green Bay Rd. Grafton. Visitation will be Friday from 10 – 10:45 AM. Burial will follow at St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery in Grafton. Online condolences can be made at www.muellerfuneralhome.com