Rosella E. Fritz

LANCASTER, WISCONSIN - Rosella E. Fritz, 92, of Lancaster, passed away at Grant Regional Health Center, surrounded by her loving daughters, on Thursday, May 9, 2019. She was born on August 11, 1926, in Lancaster, the daughter of Ray and Violet (Hutchcroft) Burr. She graduated from Lancaster High School in 1944 and attended the Platteville State Teachers College, earning her rural teaching certificate in 1945. The first 13 years of her teaching career were in one-room schools at Ellenboro, Bunker Hill, Pleasant View and Pine Knob. She further taught in the Fennimore School District, with her fondest being a 5th and 6th grade teacher at Stitzer Elementary. She retired in 1992 from Fennimore Elementary School after 45 years as an educator.
She was united in marriage to Douglas Fritz on August 12, 1949 at the First Baptist Church in Lancaster. Together they spent many years at the family cabin and camping in Merrillan, Wisconsin, and riding snowmobiles and their Honda Goldwing. Rosella loved playing bridge, volunteering at the Grant Regional Gift Shop and the American Red Cross Bloodmobile, participating in the Lancaster Chapter of the Rebekah Lodge activities, traveling and swimnastics at UW-Platteville. Most of all she enjoyed being a grandmother and attending all of her grandchildren’s sporting and music performances.
Survivors include her three children: Debbie (Terry) Murray of Sugar Grove, Il, Vicki (Ron) White and Amy (Randy) Flynn both of Lancaster; 10 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. She is further survived by her siblings Beverly Burr of Lancaster, and John Burr of Beloit; three sisters-in-law, Wilma Russell, Connie Fritz, both of Lancaster and Jean (Galen) Kuster, of Potosi, and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Douglas, in 1989; her brothers: Edwin “Ted” (Dagmar), Elgar "Barney", and Gary Burr, sisters: Mona Tracy and Julia (Joe) Dunnington, brothers-in-law: Walter (Evelyn), Donald (Jeanette), Curtis (Darlene), Eldon Fritz and Fred Russell, two sisters-in-law: Lorraine Pagenkopf and Edith (Clinton) Russell.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 11, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul's Liberty United Church of Christ with Reverend Pamela Strakeljahn officiating. Burial will be in Liberty Ridge Cemetery. Family and friends may call on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until time of services at the church. In lieu of plants and flowers a Rosella E. Fritz Memorial Fund has been established in her memory for future scholarships. Martin Schwartz Funeral Home & Crematory in Lancaster is entrusted with her care.
Online condolences: www.martinschwartzfuneralhomes.com