Obit: Hefko, Elizabeth Anne (1922 – 2001)
Contact: History Buffs

----Surnames: Hefko, Boughton, Gustafson, Smith, Koenig, Swanson

----Source: Ashland Daily Press ((Ashland, Ashland Co., Wis.)) Thur., 20 Sept. 2001

Hefko, Elizabeth Anne (23 Apr. 1922 – 18 Sept. 2001)

MARSHFIELD -- Elizabeth Anne “Betty” Hefko, age 79, passed away Tues., Sept. 18, 2001, at the House of the Dove in Marshfield after a long illness.

Betty was born April 23, 1922, in Bessemer, Mich., to Clara (Boughton) and Richard William Gustafson, and spent most of her childhood in Ashland. She graduated from Ashland High School in 1940 and attended Northland College there. During World War II she trained as a nurse and graduated from the St. Josephs Hospital School of Nursing in Marshfield. While working as a nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital, she met Terry Hefko and they were married in Ashland June 19, 1946. The couple raised seven children, some of whom continue to live in the Marshfield area, and continue to operate the Hefko Floral Company, the family business that they operated until they retired in 1988. They had homes in Marshfield and the Big Eau Pleine River area, and, in their retirement, lived sometimes in Melbourne Beach, Fla. They had many dear friends in these communities and elsewhere.

She will be remembered by her family and many friends as a generous and kind person who contributed in many ways to the life of her community. She loved bridge, travel, children, the Packers, the Cubs, and all kinds of fun with all kinds of people. Many will miss her easy laugh and great stories. Surviving Betty are her children and grandchildren: Richard and his wife Kathy of Neshkoro, and their children, Terry of Oshkosh, and Daniel of Urbana, Ill.; Thomas of Madison, and his children, Phoebe and Emily of Madison, and Ted of New Orleans, La.; Mary Smith and her husband Thomas of Elgin, Ill., and their children, Gabriel of Elgin, Bartholomew of Urbana, Ill., and Riley of Elgin; John “Jack” and his wife Jane of Marshfield, and their children, Rebecca, Benjamin and Matthew of Marshfield, and Zeke of Menomonie; Elizabeth “Lizz” Koenig, her husband Charles, and their son, Seth, all of Marshfield; David and his wife Nancy of Apple Valley, Minn., and their children, Nicholas of Winona, Minn., Megan and Anna of Schofield, and Addison and Claire of Apple Valley; Robert of Chili. Also surviving are eight great-grandchildren, Justin, Natalia, Emma, Claire, Brenden, Stormy, Aletha, and Juniper.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Terry, on Aug. 23, 2001; her parents; four brothers, Richard, Robert, Jack, and William; and a grandson, Krysten.

The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. on Fri., Sept. 21, at the First Presbyterian Church, Marshfield, with The Rev. Lois L. Swanson, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in the Hillside Cemetery, Marshfield.

Visitation will be held at the Rembs/Kundinger Funeral Home, Marshfield, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. today, Thur., Sept. 20, and also on Fri. at the church from 10 a.m. until the service time.

Memorials may be made to the House of the Dove and the First Presbyterian Church.