“It’s a new dawn, It’s a new day, It’s a new life, For me, And I’m feeling good.” Phyllis Jean Boerner, 89, entered her new life reuniting with her husband, Jim, on Saturday, February 28, 2026. She was in the comfort and care of the Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice with her family by her side when she left us and entered the arms of the Lord.
Phyllis was born in Somerset, WI on May 11, 1936, to the late Edward and Goldie (Leske) Montpetit. Upon her graduation from Osceola High School in 1954, she moved to St. Paul, MN and began working for Northwest Airlines which allowed her to travel throughout the country. She had a strong Christian faith, and it was in church where a young man stationed at the Osceola Air Force Station first saw her and worked up the courage to ask her on a date. She and that young man, Jim, married on June 10, 1961, in the Town of Farmington, WI. They settled in nearby Osceola, WI where they began their family before moving to Sheboygan, WI in 1973.
Phyllis was a woman on the move, as in walking…a lot…and would have easily surpassed 10,000 steps per day. She began working at the HC Prange Company in Data Entry where she retired, walking the 3–4-mile trek to and from work daily.
Phyllis was a soft-spoken lady with a smile that would light up a room and who was always ready to partake in the family shenanigans at gatherings. If there was a professional designation in shopping, she earned it and could teach a master class. She could outbake Betty Crocker and enjoyed eating sweets just as much as baking them. Everyone enjoyed her homemade treats with her children’s friends heading directly to the kitchen pantry when visiting.
She was a patient and incredible mother and mother-in-law. Never one to complain or be the center of attention, she enjoyed hobbies that provided quiet and solitude. She had a green thumb and could make any flower bloom. She also enjoyed spending hours cross-stitching creating many masterpieces that today hang in the homes of those she loved. She enjoyed reading autobiographies of screen legends of the Golden Age and watching movies of the past with the Wizard of Oz being one of her favorites.
A proud grandmother, she revered her time with her grandchildren through their infancy to school years and into adulthood where she loved their visits and hearing of their accomplishments while having an old-fashioned or two with them. She especially loved her Sunday dinners with her oldest granddaughter, Ellyn.
Most of all, she cherished time with her husband, Jim, his Bogie to her Bacall. They enjoyed traveling, weekend gambling trips, and Saturday dinner dates for prime rib at Klemme’s or shrimp at Rupp’s. Ever the music lovers of jazz, swing, and the big band era, they could be found in clubs listening to combos when they were young or later in life at home listening with Phyllis singing along to the classics with some of her favorites from the Rat Pack, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, and Michael “Bubbly” Bublé.
Phyllis will be sadly missed by her children, Lisa (Steve) Hansen, Jim (Lisa) Boerner, Janelle (Jim) Goking, and Mary (John) Walch; grandchildren Ellyn Hansen, Molly (Scott) Steffes, Jack (Vivian Dang) Goking, Craig (Amir Rizvic) Gerber, and Katherine Walch. She is further survived by her brother, Daniel (Rita Smith) Montpetit, nieces, nephews, and other loving family and friends.
Phyllis was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, James Boerner; parents Edward and Goldie Montpetit; father and mother-in-law, Martin and Mary Boerner; sisters Ione Newton, Gloria Kilbride, and Diane Kapuscinski; brothers Robert Montpetit, David Montpetit, and William Montpetit; and grandson, Mitchell Hansen.
Phyllis was a strong, independent woman who had faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and is now at peace. The family would like to thank all those who cared for her at HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital Sheboygan and Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice for their kindness, compassion, and dignity they provided her.
Mom, dance like no one is watching and sing like no one is listening. We give you our two thumbs up approval.
As requested by Phyllis, a private Mass for family will be held at Holy Name Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, gifts in Phyllis’ memory can be made to Fresh Meals on Wheels of Sheboygan County or Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice.
To leave an online condolence for the family, please visit www.zimmerfuneralhome.com
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