Gloria Lois Wilke, of Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, passed away on March 7, 2021, in Appleton, Wisconsin after a brief illness.

She was born on August 30, 1930 to Herman and Alice (Kruse) Winecke of Loganville, Wisconsin.

Gloria was baptized and confirmed at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Loganville.  While living in the Reedsburg area, Gloria was a member of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church of Reedsburg, and while living in the Prairie du Sac area was a member of St John's Lutheran Church of Prairie du Sac.

She attended Loganville Elementary School and graduated from Reedsburg High School in 1948.  Gloria received a Freda Meyers Nishan Scholarship to attend Sauk County Normal School and received her teaching degree in 1950.

Around the time that Gloria graduated from college, she met area businessman George Wilke.  They began to date, soon became serious and married on July 17 ^th , 1950.

Gloria taught school until the arrival of her first child.  She then focused on raising her children – Margie, Bill, Jeff and Lisa, and supported George as he ran a branch of Sunnyside Hatchery.

When the children were older, she returned to teaching and worked for many years as a teacher's aide in the Sauk Prairie School District.  Gloria loved working with the younger students, especially first graders.

George and Gloria enjoyed travel and visited many different places through the years - across the state, the country and Canada and Alaska.

Gloria was a life-long learner - her energy and drive made any project she focused on a soon-to-be-finished accomplishment.  She had many interests and hobbies – she made wine, soap, candles, and sauerkraut and was a talented carpenter.

She liked to garden and canned much of the produce from her garden.

Gloria was an accomplished baker and cook.  As a gift to her children, Gloria collected many of the recipes she had gathered over the years from family and friends, and put together a cookbook called, "A Few Recipes from Gloria's Kitchen."

She enjoyed crocheting, making quilts, and making baskets.  Gloria was always working on a new project and as a result her kids and most of the grand kids received quilts, afghans, and baskets she made over the years.

From the time she was a little girl, Gloria loved to read.  She had a wide range of interests – fiction, non-fiction, historical novels and so on – there was always a book at her side.

Gloria was preceded in death by her husband George, parents Herman and Alice (Kruse) Winecke, her sisters Margaret Loiselle and Wilma Stewart as well as daughter-in-law Laurie Wilke.

Gloria is survived by her children, Margie (Mike) Bricco, William Wilke, Jeffrey (Richard Pratt) Wilke and Lisa (Pat) Bram, brother Robert (Laurel) Winecke, sister Phyllis Perry, as well as grandchildren Sean Hawley, Ryan Hawley, Cora Wilke, David Wilke, Aaron Bricco, Lacey Bram, Colin Bricco and Jacob Bram.  She is also survived by many much-loved great grandchildren, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, 100 Oak St., Prairie du Sac with Pastor Fred Rilling officiating. (Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the sanctuary service is limited to immediate family members.  To stream the service live, go to stjohnssaukprairie.org.  On the homepage, click on the "join us live for worship" button.)

A celebration of life get-together with family and friends is planned for early summer, 2021.

The family may be contacted via Margie Bricco, 1125 Woodland Drive, Menasha, WI  54952 -2059

In lieu of flowers, donations to the bilingual book library at Tower Rock Elementary may be made in Gloria's memory.  Please send donations directly to St. John's Church, 100 Oak Street, Prairie du Sac, WI 53578.

The family would like to thank the staff at Oak Park Place, Menasha, Wisconsin, as well as the staff and hospice team at Brewster Village, Appleton, Wisconsin.

Online condolences may be made at hooversonfuneralhomes.com