Agnes M. Gianoli, 95, Athens, died Monday, December 6, 2021, at Marshfield Medical Center-Marshfield from complications of Covid-19. She was born May 15, 1926, in Marshfield, daughter of the late Joseph and Ottilie (Klein) Burger. On April 19, 1958, she married Charles Gianoli of Genoa at St. John Catholic Church, Wuerzburg. He preceded her in death March 24, 1999. Agnes had been employed at the Bank of Athens for 32½ years in several capacities, including that of teller and bookkeeper before her retirement on December 31, 1991. She was a member of St. Anthony’s Church, where she was a lector and Eucharistic minister, St. Anthony’s PCCW, St. John’s Altar Society, Girl Scout Leader, Athens Women’s Club, VFW Auxiliary (charter member since 1949, and Secretary for 59 years), National Catholic Society of Foresters (she was selected Forester of the Year in 1987), the Bowling Association, and the 500 Card Club for 67 years. She enjoyed playing cards, especially 500, sheepshead, poker, and cribbage (bring your money and count fast), and the occasional casino trip. For many years she was treasurer of the Athens Fair Parade Fund, and was given the honor of Parade Marshal in 2012. In 1949, Agnes became a charter member of the Athens Bowling Association and bowled on the same team (with her sisters, and eventually daughters), for 70 years. She bowled in 67 consecutive Wisconsin state tournaments and 31 national tournaments all around the country. When she was 88, she bowled a game of 216 in the Wisconsin state tournament. Agnes was an expert baker; making bread, sweet rolls, and cookies all by hand – no mixer for her! If any of the cousins needed a family recipe, they knew that aunt Ag would have it, and if they needed to know any family history, it was aunt Ag who knew it. She cut hundreds of wedding cakes at the former Trianon Ballroom. No matter what shape or size of the cakes, she always managed to make perfect slices. She was an avid reader, having read over 2,000 books since her retirement, and an exceptionally talented knitter. If a grandchild walked into her house in the winter without mittens on, she started knitting a pair and they were done by the next day. She never missed Jeopardy, and could get very angry when contestants didn’t know the answers (she knew almost every one). She taught all her daughters to swim in her brother’s pool across the road even though she herself could not swim. She knew the rankings of every professional tennis player, and could pronounce all the foreign names. She had her favorites, and many whom she didn’t like because they acted like “snots”. She watched all the Brewers games, and if you didn’t, she could tell you play by play what happened in the whole game. A diehard Packer fan as well, she wrote down the scores of every game by quarter, to continue Charlie’s routine. She loved doing jigsaw puzzles and crossword puzzles – in ink – up until the day before she died. A great store of knowledge has been lost with her passing. In 1971, when Charlie was the Athens Village President, they were invited (along with the mayors of all the cities named Athens in the U.S.) by the mayor of Athens, Greece to participate in the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the modern city of Athens. They were treated like royalty for 10 days and returned with many gifts from the mayor including a key to the city. In 2011, Agnes, along with her four daughters and over 80 of Charlie’s distant relatives, traveled to Campodolcino, in the Italian Alps, to visit the homeland of the Gianoli ancestors. As the oldest member of the delegation, she was presented with the flag of Lombardy by the president of the region. While she was there, she taught many of the younger members of the group to play cribbage. She loved her family and was very proud of all her daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and their accomplishments.
Survivors include her daughters, Vanessa (Bob) McDonell – Wausau, Lisa (Romey) Wagner – Wausau, Andrea (Mike) Kulas – Athens, and Carla (Ron) Smith – Grand Rapids, Michigan; ten grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren; Vanessa & Bob’s son Ian – Wausau; Lisa & Romey’s children Eric (Samantha) Wagner and their children James and Reilly – Green Bay, Megan (Tucker) Legerski – Tuscaloosa, AL, and Brett Wagner – Madison; Andrea & Mike’s children Quinn (Tom) Williams and their children Leyton and Isla – Somerset, Jacob (Tiffany) Kulas and their children Charlie, Brody, Kade, and Dylann – Port Edwards, Kellen Kulas and her son Gavon – Athens, Madelyn (Andy) Doyle and their daughter Sloane Agnes – Wilton, Natalie (Jeremy) Likely, and their son Henry – Tomah, and Annika Kulas – Athens. She is further survived by her siblings, Cecilia Johnson – Edgar, Theresa David – Marshfield, David (Marilyn) Burger – Marshfield, sister-in-law Lucy Lochen, brother-in-law Norbert Nowacki – both of Athens, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Besides her parents and husband she was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Marla; brothers, Joseph L., George, and Leonard Burger; sisters, Marie Ellenbecker, Christine Schaefer, Sylvia David, and Janice Nowacki.
The Funeral Mass was celebrated at 1:00 p.m. Sunday December 12, 2021, at St. Anthony Catholic Church, Athens. Rev. George Nelson Graham presided. Burial was in Calvary Cemetery Athens. Visitation was Saturday from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Peterson/Kraemer Funeral Home, Athens and again on Sunday from 11:00 a.m. until the time of services at the church. There was a parish rosary service at 7:00 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, please honor Agnes’s wish that everyone would take the initiative to receive the Covid vaccine to protect fully vaccinated, vulnerable people and make the world a safer place.