Phyllis Ruth Nordgren (nee Knop)

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our Mom, Phyllis Ruth Nordgren (nee Knop), 91, of West Bend, WI on Sunday, October 5th, 2025. Mom was born in Milwaukee, WI on August 10th, 1934, to Albert and Helen (nee Schmidt) Knop. She was joined in the next few years by brothers Allen and Mike, the best brothers in the entire world, as she had said many, many times over the years. The family lived in a number of locations in north central Wisconsin, primarily around the Marshfield area. Mom graduated as Auburndale High School's salutatorian in 1952, and then attended UW-Stevens Point, earning her Bachelor's degree in Home Economics in 1956. She taught Home Ec in Wild Rose, before accepting a position at Rib Lake High School, where she taught from 1957 to 1965. Mom collected a wonderful group of friends from her high school, college, and Rib Lake days, and did a great job of staying in touch over the years, often organizing gatherings or reunions.

Mom met our Dad, Gordy Nordgren, at the Harper Lake resort owned by her grandparents, Mike and Elsie Schmidt (better known to the locals as Ma and Pa Schmidt) the summer after her college graduation, and thus began a 38-year relationship. They married on June 29th, 1957 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Rib Lake. They owned the Standard Oil service station and fuel route in Rib Lake. Kathy and David arrived in the late 50's, and after a five-year break, twins Patti and Barb came along. A bigger family and increased expenses prompted the move to West Bend in December of 1966, where Dad had gotten a job in the printing business at Serigraph Sales. Mom kept very busy as a homemaker and mother for several years and eventually added a part-time job at Ben Franklin to her responsibilities. She moved into a full-time position a few years later, and remained there until 1993, when she left to take care of Dad, who had developed cancer and later passed in November of 1994.

Mom was a big believer in honesty, integrity, hard work, and always doing your best. She kept busy in her free time with a variety of things. She helped deliver Meals on Wheels with daughter Barb for 10 years, which she thoroughly enjoyed. She always had some kind of homemade baked treat on the counter or in the cookie jar, and many of the neighborhood kids were happy to come over after school and help make them disappear. She and Dad were always happy to have our friends visit, and we often heard how special it made the friends feel to be included and treated like family. She loved to stay busy with many types of hands-on, creative activities, whether sewing outfits for her kids, making ornaments and other decorations, planting and tending to a wide variety of flowers (both at home, and at her beloved cabin on North Harper Lake), and feeding and watching her birds. She was also an avid reader, and loved collecting and sharing her favorite books. Another activity that Mom enjoyed and was quite good at was staying in touch with friends and relatives. She loved sending cards to everyone for their birthdays and anniversaries, and up until quite recently when it became too difficult for her, she loved to write letters. Real, old-fashioned letters, with pen and paper. We heard many people over the years express happy surprise at having received a letter from Mom, as it seems to have become a lost art.

Mom also loved being a Grandma, and expressed her love for her grandkids in a variety of ways, from buying or making ornaments for each kid for St. Nick's Day, to putting together care packages for them as they headed off to college or returned home for a visit, to wrapping up tiny little presents for the kids to open every couple hours when on a long road trip, or baking cookies or muffins to say thank you to a grandkid who had helped her out with various tasks. She was affectionately known as Gramma Gramma to her 16 great-grandchildren and step-great-grands, a title that she wore with love and pride. She will be missed by all of us.

Mom is survived by her four children: Kathy Hanahan of Mundelein, IL, David (Lori) Nordgren of Rib Lake, Patti (Rich) Schuh of Van Dyne, WI, Barb (Tom) Larson of Valders, WI, and stepson Don (Myrna) Schwartz of Allenton, WI. She is also survived by grandchildren Kristina Nordgren, Kevin Hanahan (Sarah Leibrandt), Caitlin Causevic (Adel), Danny (Carissa ) Barnes, Ryan Barnes (special friend Arpita Desai), Mark Barnes, and Brad Barnes (fiancée Skyler Gregerson); Alyssa Thelen (Peter), Bret Wilke, and Matt Wilke (Nicole Berg); step-grandchildren Mike Schwartz (Sara) and Melanie Westphal (Dustin); Joe Barnes (Arielle), Jessie Barnes, and 16 great-grandkids and step-great-grandkids. She is also survived by her wonderful brothers Allen (and loved sister-in-law Linda Sweeney) and Mike Knop, numerous nieces and nephews, and her loved ex-sons-in-law Paul Wilke, John Barnes, Tim Hanahan, and Jim Salzer. She is preceded in death by her husband, Gordon Nordgren, her parents Albert and Helen Knop, her sister-in-law Donna Knop, and many other relatives and friends.

A memorial service will be held at St. John's Lutheran Church in West Bend (809 S. 6th Ave, WB 53095) on Tuesday, October 21st, 2025, with a visitation from 10:00 am to noon, and service to immediately follow.

In lieu of flowers, if you so desire, memorial donations can be made to St. John's Lutheran Church in West Bend (809 S. 6th Ave, WB 53095), or St. John's Lutheran Church in Rib Lake, WI (c/o John Hein, Treasurer, 901 Kennedy Street, Rib Lake 54470), or the Harper Lakes Association (c/o Shannon Meyer, Treasurer, W3102 Rustic Road, Westboro, WI 54490.

Myrhum-Patten Funeral & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Phyllis’s arrangements. Additional information and guest book can be found at www.myrhum-patten.com.