Arlene Marie Voigt, 77, of Merrill, Wisconsin was welcomed into heaven on Wednesday, October 19 after passing away unexpectedly at her home. Arlene was born on November 13, 1944, to Leo Uekert and Gladys Beyersdorff. She enjoyed her time on the family farm and made many memories there with her parents, brother/sister-in-law, nieces, grandparents, and uncles. Arlene liked playing with her cats, dog, and friends in her farm neighborhood and also spent many hours picking berries with her mother. Arlene graduated from Marathon High School at the top of her class and liked hanging out with friends at Sam’s Pizza in Wausau. After high school, Arlene worked at Employers Insurance and also in the office at the Merrill Cannery. Arlene went on a double date to the fair where she met her future husband; Arlene married Ralph D. Voigt on September 11, 1965, and they were married for 56 years, living at the same house in Merrill their entire married life. Arlene and Ralph eventually added a daughter and a son: Carmen and Ralph Leo. Arlene dedicated her life to taking care of her family, and she did a fantastic job. Arlene never was a fan of mops, and she still was scrubbing her linoleum floors by hand. She was a fantastic cook and made the best chili, pizza hot dish, creamed rice, apple pie, chocolate chip cookies, and rice krispy treats. When she was younger, Arlene canned peaches, pears, beets, and pickles. Sundays and holidays were always important to Arlene. Arlene’s light was always on for Halloween, sometimes even having to send Ralph to the store on Halloween, so they wouldn’t run out of candy. For years, Thanksgivings were spent with the family of her close friend Phyllis. Arlene loved decorating for Christmas and made hundreds of Christmas cookies every year. Everyone always looked forward to her sour cream cutouts, and she put a lot of thought and effort into the family’s Christmas presents. Arlene’s kids will never forget the amazing Easter baskets or when she would tap an umbrella on the bathroom window pretending it was the Easter bunny. No birthday was ever celebrated without a cake. For years, Sunday suppers were spent with her parents, and Arlene cherished conversations with her mom and dad. Arlene did babysitting for many years, and Ben, Samantha, Tim, Melanie, Michelle, Dominic, and Miles became part of her extended family. Arlene loved taking family vacations; some of her favorites were Crandon, Great America, Milwaukee to see the Bucks and Brewers, Yellowstone, and the U.P. Arlene was a shopper and cherished these times with her daughter, granddaughter, and daughter-in-law and found great joy in buying gifts for others more than herself. Rarely did a day go by when Arlene didn’t speak with her daughter on the phone. Arlene visited her son/daughter-in-law often and spent numerous hours taking care of their cats and dogs. She always brought plenty of dog/cat treats for all of the pets, as well as a few Hugo’s pizzas. Arlene and Ralph were fans of the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee Brewers, and the Badger basketball and football teams. Many years ago, Arlene hosted a card club for Ralph’s Aunt Molly and her friends. Arlene liked to help others, including her sister-in-law Virginia and brother-in-law Wayne at craft shows. Arlene enjoyed attending her granddaughter Molly’s dancing performances and going out to eat with her many friends and sister-in-laws. Having her hair done by her sister-in-law Dawn (visiting too) and going to live music performances with her sister-in-law Darlene were things she also looked forward to. Arlene was fond of listening to music, especially Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, the Beach Boys, and Jan and Dean. Nothing was more important to Arlene than her family and friends, and Arlene would proudly share any interactions she had with her nieces and nephews. Arlene was well known for sending cards to countless family members and friends for birthdays and holidays. She also loved receiving cards and notes and was especially fond of a card and note from her Grandma Beyersdorff. If you had a problem or were stressed out, Arlene was always a great listener and very sympathetic. Arlene really was willing to do anything to help a family member or friend. She took care of Ralph for many years after his dementia diagnosis. Arlene had a number of health challenges over the past few years and was also heartbroken after the passing of Ralph in early March. Arlene spoke of her husband Ralph daily and how much she missed him. We are so sad that Arlene left this world so suddenly, but our hope is that she no longer has any physical pain, and her heart is whole once again after being reunited with her husband. Arlene was a wonderful mother, wife, sister, and friend; life will not be the same without her.
Love your son and daughter,
Ralph Leo and Carmen
Arlene is survived by her daughter Carmen (Dave), her son Ralph Leo (Tina), and her granddaughter Molly (Nick). She is also survived by her sister-in-laws Dawn (Gerald) Schmidt, Darlene (David) Herdt, Phyllis Voigt, Carol Pankow, and Shirley Hopkins; brother-in-laws Wayne Voigt (Virginia), Laverne (Linda) Voigt, and Mike Voigt. She is further survived by many special nieces, nephews, and friends. Arlene was preceded in death by her husband, parents, brother and sister-in-law Donald and Carol Uekert, grandparents, in-laws Ralph Otto Voigt and Ernestine Kleinschmidt, and brother-in-laws Gene Voigt, Mark Pankow, and James Voigt.
A memorial service for Arlene and Ralph will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, November 12, 2022, at St. John Lutheran Church in Merrill. The Rev. David Szeto will officiate. Visitation will begin at 10:00 A.M. at the church.