Mary Ann Schultz

POYNETTE/WINDSOR WI.  On June 24, 2026, Mary Ann Schultz peacefully ended her 97 years and slipped quietly into God's heavenly embrace.  

Mary Ann was born on April 3, 1929, to William H. and Mary Townsend Siewert, who farmed in rural Arlington.  Mary Ann was an only child but thrived in the rich and varied experiences of farm life.  As a teenager, she drove tractors and took the bold step of legally changing her name from "Mary Anna" to "Mary Ann."

After graduation from Poynette High School, her four years at Carroll College broadened her horizons and left fond memories, and both schools yielded long and cherished friendships.

One unexpected bonus of farm life was a dashing young man named William ("Bill") Schultz, home from the war and serving as her rural mail carrier.  He was eight years older, handsome and witty, and we wouldn't be surprised if Mary Ann found some compelling reasons to be "in the vicinity of the mailbox" when he drove up.  Bill eventually asked her for a date, and they were married at the Arlington Evangelical United Brethren Church on April 14, 1951.  

Mary Ann and Bill were great companions throughout their long marriage.  Bill introduced Mary Ann to the other great love of his life -- the cabin on Bearskull Lake in Iron County near Mercer (built by his parents Walter and Marie Schultz in the mid-1920s), and the surrounding forest land the family later acquired.  Mary Ann loved it all -- the diversity of wildflowers and bird life, the distant howling of the Springstead wolf pack, the haunting evening cry of loons over the lake, and their many adventures in hunting and fishing.  Mary Ann turned out to be the most patient hunter in the family, and was often the one who "brought home the bacon" (venison).  Their beautiful northwoods haven was a major touchstone in their marriage, and they were caring and respectful stewards of the land.  

When their cherished children were born -- daughter Diane, followed two years later by son Steven (Steve), the children were swiftly "indoctrinated" with a love of nature -- a passion which continues in both siblings to this day.     

Bill was an outgoing "friend maker" who drew people like a magnet.  Mary Ann loved the fun and sparkle he brought into her life, but also kept him grounded, worked hard and quietly saw that things got done.  They made a great many friends throughout their marriage, and had many tales to tell about their "friend-ventures" -- including one party so wild -- involving a Thanksgiving turkey used as a football -- that their children could only shake their heads in wonder.  

As a farm kid, Mary Ann had learned to be practical.  When Diane and Steve reached school age, Mary Ann took on summer seasonal work at the Del Monte canning factory, and later became a bookkeeper for the Arlington Hardware Store, and Arlington Feed & Grain.  Like many women in those times, Mary Ann became a skilled cook, an excellent seamstress who made some beautiful homecoming dresses for her daughter, kept the household running smoothly, and did the hot work of home canning.  She produced three meals a day, and fond memories include her beautiful, latticed Rhubarb Custard Pie, Sauteed Asparagus with Ritz Cracker Crumbs, and Eggs with Curry Powder on Toast.  Today the family is adamant that "Grandma's way" is the only way to fry bluegills (hint:  use cornmeal).

Mary Ann and Bill were devoted parents who worked hard to provide for their children and send them to college.  Bill was a playful parent who loved to chase his young children around the house playing "Black Pete", a notorious outlaw from the Old West.  Mary Ann showed her love in a thousand and one practical ways -- including checking for ticks and removing splinters from squirming children who sat on a rough wooden pier.  When she had any time for herself, she loved to read, played the piano, and avidly followed politics and current events throughout her life.

The two never tired of watching wildlife.  Because Bill's rural mail route was 63 miles a day, every year they traded in their car.  Bill always had a spotlight installed on the driver's side for spotting deer at night.  Both of them got a kick out of watching other cars slam on the brakes when they saw the "police car."  In 1989, Mary Ann began participating in the annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) sponsored by the local Audubon chapter.  In 2025, the Poynette CBC honored her for 36 years of dedicated service to this effort.

A deep faith anchored Mary Ann's life, and she was a lifetime member of the Arlington United Methodist Church (formerly Arlington Evangelical United Brethren) until her beloved little church recently closed its doors.  Women were the glue that held these churches together, and Mary Ann did it all:  cooking and serving at potlucks, fundraisers, funerals, serving on committees, and becoming treasurer of the Cemetery Committee.  

And how they loved being grandparents.  Every year they "stole" Diane and Alan's three girls for two weeks at the cabin.  The rule was "No parents allowed!"  These up north experiences had a profound impact on the granddaughters' lives and left unforgettable memories -- along with a ton of smelly laundry.  As a legacy of love to their family, the grandparents greatly expanded the cabin, which now welcomes the 5th generation.

From age 21 to 97, Mary Ann poured her life into her family.  She was a source of never-ending support, keen interest in all that the family was doing, and pride in her family's achievements.  Every major and minor holiday brought greeting cards and gifts from Grandma, for the youngest to the adults.  And she paid attention.  Once she knew your interests, articles and her legendary newspaper clippings on the topic might come your way for decades.   Putting family first, she was stoic to a fault, often minimizing her own symptoms -- to the frustration of her children and doctors!  

And Mary Ann was a warrior.  She battled weeds in her flower garden up north, deer in her flower garden at home (even as her beloved spouse kept buying corn to lure the deer in), and rampaging raccoons in her bird feeders.  Even into her 90s, she took the feeders into her kitchen every night.

But her biggest battle was the epic one against her mortal enemy -- a large patch of ice which formed in her driveway every year.  She stubbornly chipped away at it even into her elder years.  Her family's warnings that she could fall were brushed away like annoying mosquitoes.  When she took a little ambulance trip to the Portage hospital with a broken pelvis, the first thing she told her daughter in the Emergency Room was:  "I made up my mind that I'm not going to die."  And true to her word, she didn't -- for many years to come.

When Bill eventually developed chronic kidney disease, his greatest wish was to remain at home.  Mary Ann became a front-line hero, doing all she could to keep Bill home -- and won.  At 92, Bill died on March 29, 2014, as he had wished -- on a bright spring day, with a view of their beloved woods and a deer walking by.  After his death, Mary Ann immediately scheduled her long-delayed hip replacement surgery.  Once again, she had put her family's needs above her own.

 Eventually, congestive heart disease began to take its toll.  Like so many in the Silent Generation, Mary Ann faced the waning of her life with quiet courage and rarely complained.  Her beloved Bill had done the same.  He has waited for her for 12 years, and at last she has followed him Home.  She now enjoys radiant new life in the presence of God.  Mom, you poured your life into your family and were truly "the wind beneath our wings."  We are forever grateful and will treasure the light you left behind.  

Mary Ann is survived by a daughter, Diane (Alan) Harvey of Windsor; a son, Steven (Pok) Schultz of Poynette; granddaughters Chandra Harvey (Mitch Weyer) of Lake Mills, and Teague (Greg) Mawer of Madison; great-grandchildren Weston and Harper Weyer of Lake Mills, and Aria Mawer of Madison; and step-grandson Jim (Kristin) Mattison and step-great grandchildren Thomas and Victoria Mattison of Matthews, NC.  She was preceded in death by her husband, William Schultz; parents William and Mary Siewert; parents-in-law Walter and Marie Schultz; and her granddaughter, Erin Harvey.

Funeral services will be held at WINDSOR UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, 4434 2nd St., Windsor on Saturday, July 11, 2026, with Pastor Tammy Martens and Hospice Chaplain Gill Robertson officiating.  Visitation will be from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. at the church, until the time of the service at 10:30 a.m.  The family would like to thank the compassionate staff at Parkside Senior Living; Rebecca and the caring hospice team from Interim Health Care; Hospice Chaplain Gill Robertson; Pastor Tammy Martens and the funeral volunteers from Windsor United Church of Christ; and Don and Tykie Wescott for their friendship and many kindnesses.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance (formerly Madison Audubon); International Crane Foundation, Baraboo; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithica, New York; and Community United Methodist Church, Poynette.