Shirley Schwartz

Our Mom, Shirley Schwartz, age 74, passed away on November 2, 2025. She was incredible yet she could never see herself as others did. This lady went from being a teenage mother with little to no support living in a lousy little apartment, to being the first female supervisor at Marathon County Jail, and able to retire early living in a nice home. She was so smart! She went on to earn her real estate license after retirement and also did taxes for people on the side to keep herself busy. In her younger years she loved refinishing furniture and taking walks.

 She loved to read! Stephen King being her favorite. In her later years she became hooked on computer word games and spent hours a day on them. And was she stubborn! She hated asking for help so often times she would be seen reading the big yellow fix-it book from Readers Digest and it would get done! 

In her younger years she loved refinishing furniture, taking walks and looking at nature.

She had a hard time expressing her feelings, when we were younger a pat on the shoulder meant she loved you or was really proud of you. She was a bit better at showing it as she got older but still kept so many feelings inside. In her advanced directive it asked if there was anything she wanted the family to know in case she could not speak for herself. "They know I love them" was her reply. We know Mom, we know.

Shirley is survived by her children Eric Tessmer, Cari Howe, and Lucas Niewolny, son-in-law Steven Howe, daughter-in-law Angela Niewolny, granddaughter Morgan Lanahan (John Schaller), step-grandchildren Kim (Adam) Ball and Joseph Howe, step-great grandchildren Braedyn, Bentley, and Bryson Ball. Her siblings Jerry (Kaye) Schwartz, Jonathon (Jill) Schwartz, and Sally (Jaime) Barron, and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by Arden Schwartz (Father), Ethel Schwartz (Mother), and sister Judy.

Per her wishes there will be no formal service but a celebration of life will be held at a later date, which was NOT her wish but her kids are as stubborn as her so we will honor the strong, unique, amazing woman she was in our own way. Shirley never wanted much for herself and when encouraged to do so would say she would rather help someone else. So, in lieu of flowers or gifts of money to the family please consider this: if you see someone struggling give them a few dollars, shovel a strangers sidewalk, help a neighbor with a project, help someone who feels alone be seen. This is who our mom was