Obituary of Kathleen Conlan

Kathleen J. Conlan was born on December 27, 1944 to Ben and Lillian Marheine of Brantwood. She was raised in the home that her father and his siblings grew up in, under the care of her parents and her grandmother, Louisa Marheine. Kathleen had six siblings: Ben, Tuffy, Jim, Nancy, Judy and Dennis. She graduated from Tripoli High School, class of 1963, and studied Cosmetology at the Accredited School of Beauty Culture in Milwaukee. She married Joseph Conlan at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Tomahawk in 1966, and within a few years they settled in Brantwood, just down the road from her childhood home. Kathleen devoted herself to homemaking with precision and care–tending flowers and vegetables, sewing clothing and curtains, cooking from scratch, baking bread, preserving and freezing goods. Chores were a given, and she grounded her faith in the natural beauty surrounding her. Her heritage was only half Finnish, but she had SISU in abundance. Kathleen and Joe faced challenges together for 52 years, and were blessed with three children of their own: Joleen (Paul) Sterk, Joseph Jr. and Jerry (Stephanie) Conlan. They also adopted Joe’s niece Jody. Kathleen especially enjoyed watching her grandchildren, Erin and Ben Sterk and Jessica and Julie Conlan grow. Kathleen was preceded in death by her husband and parents. The Funeral Service for Kathleen Conlan will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 13, 2023 at Redeemer Ev. Lutheran Church. Rev. Mark Gass will officiate. The family will receive friends at Krueger Family Funeral Home Wednesday evening from 4 until 7:00 p.m. and again on Thursday morning from 10 am until the time of services at Redeemer. Krueger Family Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. You may view the obituary and share online condolences at kruegerfamilyfuneral.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Autoimmune Association, an organization that supports awareness, research, education and advocacy for those affected by autoimmune diseases, or to the Marshfield Clinic Health System Foundation. The family especially wishes to thank the entire staff for the care that she received at Rennes Health and Rehab Center in Rhinelander, and for support from Compassus Hospice Care.