Third Generation

19. Theresa Ann RATTLE was born on 3 August 1927 in Grant Township, Monroe County, WI.^2,16 She died on 23 June 2021 at the age of 93 in Warrens, Lincoln Township, Monroe County, WI.¹⁶ Obituary Notes: " Theresa Ann Anderson, age 93, died June 23, 2021, at Agape Acres in Warrens, WI. The daughter of William and Katherine (Carroll) Rattle, Theresa was born Aug. 3, 1927, at home on the family’s farm in the Town of Grant in Monroe County, Wis.

Theresa Ann Rattle was the seventh of Bill and Kate’s ten children. Raised on a 160-acre farm purchased by her great-great-grandparents in 1871, Theresa’s family raised potatoes, chickens, sheep, a few cows, blackberries, and strawberries. Theresa recalled being paid a penny for each quart of strawberries she picked and using that money to buy school clothes from a mail-order catalog.

Theresa attended Summit Valley School for eight years. Theresa wasn’t afforded the opportunity to attend high school so at age 56, she attended night classes at Western Technical College in Tomah and received her General Education Diploma.

When she was 19 years old, Theresa met future husband Eugene Anderson on a blind date at a sleigh ride party in Coles Valley. The couple’s first date was at a dance at the Tomah Armory on Valentine’s Day 1947. Gene had a box of Valentine candy that he intended to give to the girl he took home after the dance. Theresa got the box of candy.

Gene and Theresa were married on Nov. 20, 1948, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Tomah, WI. The couple lived and worked in Beloit for a few years and in 1950 they moved back to Warrens, living with Theresa’s mother and oldest brother, William, to help run the Rattle family farm. In 1957, the couple purchased an 80-acre dairy farm across the road from where Theresa grew up.

Theresa and Gene had three children: Dennis Eugene, Dale William, and Debra Ann. The couple was married for 34 years, until Gene’s death in a car accident in 1983. Daughter Debbie passed away in 1989 from cancer.

Gene worked off the farm, so he milked cows early in the morning and did his field work after supper. Theresa took care of feeding the calves and other chores on the farm, along with tending the garden, cooking, canning, and sewing. She was known for her homemade noodles, biscuits, peanut butter balls and “Granny’s Rheumatism Medicine” made from 100 percent alcohol.

Theresa lived in the Town of Grant for 73 years. She was a resident of Warrens for 15 years, until moving into the Touch of Home assisted living facility in Tomah in 2015 and Agape Acres in June 2021.

Theresa was an active member of St. Andrew’s Catholic Church ever since the building was moved from the Town of Millston in Jackson County to Warrens in 1940. She was involved with the Altar Society (later the PCCW) and took her turn cleaning the church and preparing food for the monthly social, washed the altar linens for many years, and helped make cranberry syrup for the parish’s pancake breakfast during the Warrens Cranberry Festival.
In 2014 Theresa and her cousin, Larry Abbott, represented the St. Andrew Church as the remaining original members of the parish as parade marshals in the Warrens Cranberry Festival Parade.

That same year, Theresa was also named the Warrens Softball Association’s Fan of the Year. Often accompanied by her granddaughter, Carrie, Theresa rarely missed the Tuesday night
softball games.

Over the years, Theresa worked at Freeman’s Shoe Factory in Beloit; Fort McCoy, Van Pak and the Super 8 Motel in Tomah, and was a substitute cook at the Warrens Elementary School from 1985 to 1995.

Theresa loved to travel and visited Rome, Ireland, Hawaii, Alaska, and many trips to Utah. She went to Germany twice while her son Denny was stationed there. She also went on hunting trips with husband Gene.

Theresa enjoyed playing cards, but most of all she loved dancing. Her family says Theresa danced her way to the west coast and back with her favorite polka bands and friends.

Theresa is survived by her two sons Dennis (Nancy) of Quartzsite, AZ, and Dale (Peggy) of Warrens, son-in-law Gary Felber of Tomah, seven grandchildren: Jamie (David) Senninger, Syracuse, Utah; Kristine Jenkins, Salt Lake City, UT; Katherine (Ken) Scharman, Farr West, UT; Keith (Shanna) Larsen, Tremonton, UT; Clinton (Dana) Anderson, Liberty Township, Ohio; Carrie (Galen) Betz, Crested Butte, CO; and Gina (Daniel) Nelson, Eau Claire, WI, and sixteen great-grandchildren: Camden, Justin, and Meriah Senninger; Dustin (Carey), Jake (Kirstie Henrod) and Amie Jenkins; Chandler, Kellan, and Hayden Rose, Haleigh Hillis; Audrye (Trinity) Pomana, Gracie and Ty Larson; Logan Sias, Connor Nelson and Riley McRae. Theresa is further survived by her sister Kathleen “Kathy” (Charles) Pollard, brother-in-law John (Sharon) Anderson, sisters-in-law Darlene Wolf and Sharon (Gary) Bibby, and many
nieces and nephews.

Theresa was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her daughter Debra Felber, her brothers William, Kenneth, Francis (“Bud”), Glendon (“Glenn”), twin brothers Donald and Ronald, and Cletus (who died in infancy); and one sister Neoma Goodenough. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, June 28, 2021, at 11:00 AM at St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Queen of the Apostles Parish in Tomah. Father Samuel C. McCarty will officiate. Burial will follow in Warren Mills Cemetery in Warrens.

A Parish Rosary will be recited on Monday at the church at 9:00 AM with a visitation to follow until the time of the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to Queen of the Apostles Parish to be used toward the upkeep of St. Andrew’s Catholic Church or the Warren Mills Cemetery."

Theresa Ann RATTLE and Eugene "Gene" ANDERSON were married on 20 November 1948 in Tomah, Tomah Township, Monroe County, WI.^8,16 Eugene "Gene" ANDERSON was born (date unknown).

Theresa Ann RATTLE and Eugene "Gene" ANDERSON had the following children: