Lorraine Birschbach
Lorraine S. Birschbach 90 of St. Peter, formerly of Kaukauna, Wisconsin passed away on May 8, 2025. Born on April 16, 1935 to Arthur M. and Mathilda (Hilt) Krebsbach, Lorraine attended school in St. Peter and Mt. Calvary. She married her beloved life partner Martin E. Birschbach in 1955. They celebrated 68 years of marriage before his passing in 2023.
Lorraine grew up working on the family dairy farm with her dad. She then worked at Petrie’s restaurant, raised 6 children with Martin, was an excellent seamstress, led many projects in the Nightingale 4-H club, baked bread, gardened, canned, hunted, and eventually returned to her true passion growing large fields of crops and driving tractors. Lorraine was the manager, scheduler, coordinator and operator of the Birschbach farm until her retirement at 81. She was especially good at growing soybeans and was elected to, and served on, the Wisconsin Soybean Association and the American Soybean Association Boards. Lorraine and Martin advocated for soybean markets in the US and internationally. They looked forward to attending the annual Commodity Classic and Corn-Soy Expo where she was also on the planning committee. Lorraine recognized the value of membership in trade associations and earned multiple awards from the Wisconsin Soybean Association for her membership recruitment. Lorraine and Martin loved their farming community and made many friends across the US.
She was loved, admired, and will be truly missed by her children: Jeanette (Bill) Newhouse, Elaine (Jim) Jackson, Audrey (Mike) Robertson, Myron (Barb) Birschbach, Joyce (Steve) Bergelin and Eric (Pam) Birschbach; grandchildren, Andy, Jenna & Evan Newhouse; Patrick & Abigail Jackson; Caitlin (Vitaliy) Tufeld & Jillian Robertson; Philip (Katherine) Birschbach, Jason (Kathryn) Birschbach & Cara Birschbach; Rachel Bergelin; Ian & Hannah Birschbach; great grandchildren, Henry Birschbach and Harper Tufeld, and treasured nieces and nephews from the William & Virginia (Krebsbach) Hau and Eugene & Mary Ann (Steffes) Birschbach families, and Scott Gratton.
Lorraine is preceded in death by her beloved husband Martin, her parents Arthur M. & Mathilda (Hilt) Krebsbach, sister and brother-in-law Virginia and William Hau; her in-laws Martin J. & Elma (Schmitz) Birschbach and Martin’s family: Eugene & Mary Ann Birschbach, Conrad & Evelyn Birschbach, Wilfred & Yvonne Birschbach, Daniel Birschbach, Anthony Birschbach, and Edith Birschbach Gratton
The family thanks ThedaCare and Moments Hospice for assisting with Lorraine’s wishes to remain at home. There wasn’t a flower or plant she couldn’t grow and she loved every one of them including the dandelions.
Visitation will begin at 9:30 am on Saturday July 19th with an 11:00 service at St. Peter Church, N8079 Church Road, St. Peter, Wisconsin. Sippel Funeral Home, St. Cloud is assisting. Please see their website at www.sippelfunteralhome.net