Jeanne Mae Colla

Jeanne Mae (Wendels) Colla, 97, passed away peacefully on July 29, 2023, less than a week before her 98th birthday. The youngest of six children, Jeanne was born in August of 1925 to Joseph and Anna (Ballwanz) Wendels in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. She attended St. Peter’s Lutheran School until her family moved to Milwaukee, where she attended Lincoln High School before graduating from Fond du Lac High in 1943. After finishing her education, Jeanne held various jobs in Milwaukee. She loved the big bands and enjoyed going out dancing. Jeanne met her husband, Myron “Mike” Colla, in Milwaukee when she and her friends stopped into his family's bar/grill/hotel for a “Texas” hamburger. They married in 1952, moved to Fond du Lac, and were blessed with 3 children. Jeanne persevered through the difficulty of losing her husband to cancer in 1971 while her children were still in school. She anchored her family, providing a good home for her children while going back to work. An accomplished typist and excellent speller, she worked at Sabish Junior High School as a secretary, and later for Pier School as a librarian. She retired in 1987. Jeanne had many good friends and loved to travel. Jeanne was a strong person known for her cleareyed convictions and resilient faith. She would never hesitate to tell it like it was. Jeanne took great care of herself, attending the Joint Efforts class at the Aquatic Center three times a week for many years. She enjoyed going to lunch with the “Lunch Bunch” and met many good friends there. She always had her hair done, even as she neared the end of her life. Jeanne was a deeply religious person and a devout, lifelong member of St Peter’s Lutheran Church where she was very engaged in the church community. She volunteered for the hot lunch program when her children were in school, and later joined the Evening Circle, the Gleaners at St. Peter‘s and was on the Evangelism Committee. Jeanne is survived by her son Jeffrey of Glenwood, MN, daughter Jill (Terry) Reynolds of Malone, daughter-in-law Jennifer Colla of Fond du Lac, and grandchildren: Amy Colla (Douglas Leonhardt) of Los Angeles, CA, Benjamin Colla of Minneapolis, MN and Christopher Colla of Fond du Lac; along with many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband on September 29, 1971 and her son Michael on October 18, 2014. She was also preceded in death by her sisters Marion (Clair) Engleman, Mildred (Gordon) Cox, Marcella “Sally” (William) Doetze, and brothers Harold (Luann) Wendels and Ralph (Betty) Wendels, and several nieces and nephews. VISITATION: The family will greet friends from 9:00 – 11:00 AM, on Thursday, August 3, 2023, at St. Peter’s Ev. Lutheran Church, 1600 South Main Street, Fond du Lac. SERVICE: Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, August 3, 2023, at St. Peter’s Ev. Lutheran Church, with Rev. Fred Toppe officiating. Burial to follow at Calvary Cemetery. The family would like to thank Sage Meadow and St. Croix Hospice for their compassionate care of our mother and grandmother.

Jeanne Mae Colla

August 4, 1925 - July 29, 2023