Margaret Roeger

Margaret Roeger, 91 passed away peacefully on November 29, 2023 at Oak Hill Terrace in Waukesha where she lived the past five years.

Margaret was preceded in death by her father Karl Bruch who died during WWII in Germany when Margaret was only 8 years old. Also preceded in her death was her mother Elise Kreutzer, step-father, Willy Kreutzer, her sister Doris Pauls, and her husband of 61 years Walter.

Margaret is survived and will be dearly missed by her three children Rita (Bill) Suechting, Ralph (Carrie) Roeger, and Gary Roeger; grandchildren Kristal (Justin) Sherman, William IV (Karol) Suechting and Samantha Roeger; and great grandchildren Elia, Sawyer, Esme, Julian, Anders and Lachlan.

Margaret was born June 5, 1932 in Witzhelden, Germany (near Cologne) just 7 years prior to the start of WWII. When she was only 8 her father was a casualty of the war and her mother had to be a single parent of two little girls. Margaret endured the suffering of war going without food many times and running to bomb shelters every time the air raid sirens went off. She still hated the sound of sirens to this day.

She was done with school at the age of 14 and spent a year living on a farm, then went to nursing school. Her first job was in a town 22 miles away so she had to ride her bike back and forth not getting home until close to midnight. Then she became a live-in Nanny for an Opera Singer and also joined the local Red Cross Chapter. At the age of 21 she decided she wanted to see America and had an Aunt and Uncle that lived in Milwaukee sponsor her and provide a place to live. She had only intended to stay for one year and continue her Nursing education but someone had other plans. On the ship coming over to America she met a young man named Walter who was also going to America to stay with an Aunt and Uncle in Peoria, Il. He was smitten and declared to his Aunt when he arrived that he just met the woman he was going to marry. They were married on April 16, 1955 in Peoria but then moved up to Milwaukee where Margaret continued her nursing. In 1960 they bought a house on Okauchee Lake.

Margaret was mostly a stay at home Mom but tried to earn some money whenever possible by doing some babysitting, and sewing for people including making "fit like a glove" slipcovers for furniture. When her kids became teenagers she started waitressing at several places including the Golden Mast, the old Hotel in Oconomowoc, Genes Gaity and Paulines in Okauchee. She was an amazing cook and also loved doing anything creative. Besides her sewing which included many outfits for her three kids, and also for her Daughters Barbie, she loved to knit and crochet. She created very unique Christmas ornaments and made large Shell pictures from shells she would find on the Florida beaches. Margaret loved going on cruises, went on eleven of them including to the Caribbean and Alaska.

Margaret's Husband retired early when she was only 50 and they moved to Florida where they lived for many years. Later they moved to North Atlanta to be closer to her two Sons that had moved there. In 2016 when her Husband died her Daughter moved her back to Oconomowoc, WI to live with her there. Unfortunately 1.5 years later she suffered from the effects of a couple of strokes and had to go into Assisted Living.

A celebration of life will be held at on Saturday, May 4, 2024 at Pagenkopf Funeral Home (NEW LOCATION: 2228 N. Silver Maple Lane, Oconomowoc, WI 53066) at 11:00 AM with a meal to follow. Burial will take place on Monday, May 6, 2024 at LaBelle Cemetery in Oconomowoc at 10:30 AM.