Age 84 died peacefully at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Appleton on Sunday July 8th, 2018 after a brief illness. Berny was born in Stevens Point, WI on March 21,1934 to the late Harold and Josephine Matthews. She graduated from Holy Cross High School and then moved to Appleton where she met and married the one and only true love of her life Jim Lutz on October 8, 1955.
They celebrated 40 years of marriage until his passing in 1996 and they are now happily reunited again. Over the years Berny was very active in many church activities and organizations including Christian Family Movement, Cursillo, retreats, Liturgical Ministry and singing in the choir. She proudly worked at AAL / Thrivent as a senior claims agent and truly loved her work and the people she met during her time there.
Berny retired in 1993 but remained active in retirement functions, lunches with her co-workers, spending time with her mom and grandchildren and doing volunteer work in the community. She loved to travel and spoke fondly of her trips to Europe. Berny will be remembered most for her devotion to her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren; as well as her generous donation of her time, talent and gifts to the community and her church, St. Mary Catholic Church.
She will be dearly missed and remembered every day by her three children son Michael (Ann), and their children Matthew, Eric, Ashley Dercks (Mike); son Steven and his daughters Alexandria and Bryanna and daughter Barbara Geiger (John) and their son Jonathan. She is further survived by five great-grandchildren, two sisters Lorraine (Len) Charlotte (Jim), one brother Ronald (Marge) and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Jim, parents, sisters Claire Ann and Elnora, a brother Harold and infant brother Eugene.
The family would like to say a special thank you to the staff at Matthews Assisted Living and the doctors and nurses and hospice team at the hospital on the 8th floor for the care and compassion they provided mom. Mike and Steve would also like to thank Barbara for helping mom and for being with her every day for the last few years. Visitation for Berny will be held at 4:00 pm until 6:45 pm on Thursday, July 12, 2018 at Brettschneider Trettin Nickel Funeral Chapel.
A prayer service will conclude the evening at 6:45 pm. A private family service will be held at a later date. Berny had one unique way of signing cards, letters and notes to family and friends.
They were always signed Lots of Lutz Love Berny, Mom, Grandma or GG. With her final note until she sees us all again she sends her love, well wishes and thank you to all her loving family and friends and she asks that in lieu of donations to please pay it forward with an act of kindness to someone in need.
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