Shirley Ann Hellish Birkle Wente Kade, 96, of Sheboygan, passed away Tuesday afternoon, September 3, 2019 at the Pine Haven Christian Home where she had been residing.
Born February 3, 1923 in Kenosha, WI, Shirley was the daughter of the late Bernard J. and Verna M. Baer Hellish. She attended Sheboygan area schools and graduated from Sheboygan Central High School in 1941. She married Marius Birkle in 1943. He was a casualty of World War II on June 27, 1945. She then married John “Jack” Wente in 1948. They had three sons before he preceded her in death on July 17, 1976. In 1981, she married Richard “Dick” Kade. They moved to Sarasota, FL in 1986. They returned to Sheboygan in 2001. Dick preceded her in death on January 5, 2002.
During her life, Shirley worked as a bank clerk, dental receptionist, ration board secretary, and a stay at home mom until her youngest son was in school. She had to return to work because of family illness. She then became a legal secretary before her last job as executive secretary of the C. Reiss Coal Company. She always said of all her jobs, she loved being a mom the best. She was a member of Grace Episcopal Church in Sheboygan.
Shirley loved to dance and took dancing lessons for many years in the hopes of becoming a dance instructor. Her parents gave her piano lessons instead. Having only mastered Tippi Tippi Tin and a couple of dubious recitals, she gave up on that. She continued to satisfy her dancing urges by attending aerobics and tap dancing classes until she was 88 years old. She also enjoyed playing tennis and was an avid reader. She was very giving and loved by all who knew her.
She is survived by her two sons, Mark (Tad) Wente, Port Washington, and John (Deborah) Wente, Sheboygan; three granddaughters, Hannah (Daniel Melanz) Wente, Madison, Kristin Wente, Grafton, and Samantha Wente, Arlington, VA; her step children, Susan (Jan) Hicks, Santa Rosa, CA, Ric (Sue Marie) Kade, Rohnert Park, CA, and Kathy Kade, Rohnert Park, CA; step grandchildren, Adam (Amy) Hicks, Katie (Kyle) Schoenthaler, and Tim (Nicole) Kade; five great grandchildren; and her special cousin, Colleen Zettler.
Besides her parents and her three husbands, Marius, Jack and Dick, she was preceded in death by her son, Patrick, her step mother, Velma C. Hellish and her step grandson, Gregory Kade.
A Requiem Mass will be celebrated on Monday, September 16, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at Grace Episcopal Church, 1011 N. 7th Street, Sheboygan. The Venerable Michele E. Whitford will officiate. Family and friends are welcome at the church on Monday from 9:00 a.m. until the time of Mass. Inurnment will take place in Holy Cross Cemetery.
A memorial fund has been established in her name for PSC Partners Seeking a Cure, 6900 E. Belleview Ave. Suite 202, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 or you may visit
www.pscpartners.org
.
The family would like to thank the nurses and staff of Pine Haven Christian Home and the Sharon S. Richardson Hospice for all of their loving care and support.
The Olson Funeral Home & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Shirley's arrangements.
