MIDDLETON - Elizabeth Jane “Betty” Kessenich, 93, of Middleton, Wis., passed away peacefully on May 29, 2025, surrounded by the love of her family. Born on July 14, 1931, in Cross Plains, Wis., to Herbert and Anna (Bollenbeck) Bowar, Betty lived a life filled with devotion to her faith and family.

A graduate of Mount Horeb High School, Betty dedicated 25 years of her career to Graber’s/Springs Window Fashions, retiring in 1997. Her strong work ethic was matched only by her unwavering commitment to her faith and service. As a devoted member of St. Bernard Parish in Middleton, Betty was an active participant in the Madonna Rosary Makers. Over her lifetime, she crafted more than 2,000 rosaries, with 640 made in her final nine years, each bead a testament to her deep love for God and her desire to share His grace through prayer.

Betty’s heart was her family. On June 6, 1951, she married the love of her life, Jerome “Jerry” Kessenich, in Pine Bluff, Wis. Together, they built a beautiful life for 51 years, raising seven children, Joseph (Linda), Dennis, David (Cheryl), Michael, Mary (Dale) Disch, Anna (Todd) Voelkl, and Theresa “Trish” (Paul) Trombino. Betty’s legacy continues through her 11 grandchildren, Amber (Mark) Hildebrandt, Jeremy Kessenich, Allison (Chris) Ashworth, Joshua Kessenich, Kendra (Tim) Cleary, Kelsey (Joe) Berndt, Kaitlin (Tyler) Payne, Carissa (Nick) Fritz, Natasha (Jon) Gehlbach, Enzo Trombino, Mila Trombino, Henry Voelkl, and Ella Voelkl; and 18 great-grandchildren, all of whom she cherished deeply.

Betty’s love for her family shone brightest in the simple moments: baking birthday cakes for her grandchildren, babysitting with endless patience, and sharing lunches and adventures with her surviving sisters, Jeanette Ziegler, Mary Ann Connors, Ruthie (Duane) Maly; her sister-in-law, Annabelle Bowar; and the many lives she touched with her kindness and generosity. Her gardens bloomed with care, much like the warmth she cultivated in her home, always open to family and friends.

Betty was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Jerry; her parents, Herbert and Anna; her parents-in-law, John and Theresa Kessenich; her brothers, Jerome, William, and Donald Bowar; her sisters, Florentine Borrelli, Virginia Bowar, and Delores Bowar; her daughter-in-law, DeDe Kessenich; and her great-granddaughter, Rylee Payne.

Betty’s life was a tapestry of love, faith, and service, woven with care and grace. Her memory will live on in the rosaries she crafted, the gardens she tended, and the countless moments of joy she shared with those she held dear.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at ST. BERNARD CATHOLIC CHURCH, 7450 University Ave., Middleton, at 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 12, 2025. A visitation will be held at the church from 9 a.m. until the time of the Mass on Thursday.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the Madonna Rosary Makers in Betty’s honor.

Rest in peace in the eternal embrace of God’s love.

Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson West

Funeral & Cremation Care

7435 University Ave.

(608) 831-6761

Elizabeth Jane Kessenich

July 14, 1931 - May 29, 2025

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