Virginia Mary (Drexler) Oesterreich

Virginia Mary (Drexler) Oesterreich, age 87, of the Township of Matteson, Waupaca County, passed away on Tuesday November 11, 2014 at Pine Manor Healthcare Center, Embarrass.

Virginia was born November 5, 1927 to the late Wenzel & Elizabeth (Sazama) Drexler in the Town of Rolling, Langlade County, the youngest of four children. She had her First Communion and Confirmation at St. John’s Church, Antigo. Virginia met and later married Herman Oesterreich on May 23, 1945 in a double wedding ceremony with her brother Bernard & Viola Shepard at St. John’s Church, Antigo. Virginia is survived by their six children: Kathleen Beilfuss, Clintonville; Elaine Berg, Westfield; Terry (Peggy), Clintonville; Elizabeth (Donald) Bovee, New London; Retired Chief Master Sergeant Wenzel (Debby), Haughton, LA; David (Judy), MA.

Virginia and Herman lived on the Oesterreich family home farm at Aniwa in the Town of Harrison, Marathon County for 7 ½ years, later moving to a farm on County Road C, in the Town of Matteson in October of 1952. In 1956, Virginia and Herman were honored with the “Farmer of the Year” award, introduced as the family that pulled together as they were still milking cows by hand! After Herman’s retirement from the Waupaca County Highway Dept., the home farm was sold to their son Terry and the couple built a new home nearby. Herman passed away September 9, 1999, and Virginia continued to live there until her death.

Virginia enjoyed her work on the farm and raising her family there. She loved working in her vegetable garden where she grew everything they needed and canned the rest. She loved to go picking strawberries every year, and did so until very recently.

It was with great pride when she could share her flower arrangements with her friends, grown from her very own perennial flower gardens. Some of her favorite flowers were: pansies, gladiolus, irises, sweet peas (also in her wedding bouquet) and roses, with asparagus greens as filler. Yellow roses were always her favorite; however there was not a flower she didn’t like!

Virginia was a lover of chickens her whole life through, always ordering new breeds of all kinds. She raised them for meat and eggs to bring in extra money to the farm and family.

In 1960, she started still another hobby at which she was a natural, cake decorating. She would always bring the cakes for the neighbors’ birthdays, anniversaries, and even did wedding cakes, including her daughter Kathleen’s.

Virginia received a rabbit on her fourth birthday which started a love for rabbits. Years later her son Terry bought her a pair of registered New Zealand White Rabbits, after which she started and continued her rabbit business for 27 years. She was very active in helping the 4-H groups around Shawano and Waupaca Counties with their rabbits. Many knew her as the “Rabbit Lady.” Virginia won many awards, trophies and boxes of rosettes/ribbons in Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota. She won a nationwide award for four consecutive years with her American Chinchilla breed for Class and Fur. At times there were over 290 rabbits in the “Oesterreich Rabbitry.” Her favorites were the American Chinchilla, Dutch, and English Spots. Virginia was very proud in 1989 at the Wisconsin State Fair in Milwaukee where she won Best in Show with her Black English Spot Senior Buck out of 976 rabbits shown. In 1997, she was asked to make 17 ceramic rabbit trophies for the American Rabbit Breeders Association State Convention, a first for the event. Virginia was a lifetime member of the American Rabbit Breeders Association, Wisconsin State Rabbit Breeders Association, Fox Valley Rabbit Club; she also started the New Wisconsin American Chinchilla Rabbit Club in 1981, where she was president.

Virginia also enjoyed embroidery work. In 1986, she started painting and dry brushing ceramic, specializing in animals and birds that look very realistic. She also loved completing “Find-A-Word” puzzle books. Her passion in her later years was playing sheep-head or smear at the card parties at Clintonville and Marion Senior Centers. Many will miss seeing Virginia in her little red truck.

Virginia is a member of St. Rose Catholic Church, Clintonville, where she was active with the Christian Mothers.

Virginia is survived by her six children, 17 Grandchildren, 25 Great-Grandchildren, and 1 Great-Great-Grandchild.

Virginia was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 54 years, Herman, her brothers Wenzel Drexler Jr. and Bernard (Viola) Drexler, a sister Elizabeth (George) Hunt, four son-in-laws, Jimmy Beilfuss, James Berg Sr., Richard VanNulad, and Lawrence Kaiser.

Funeral services will be held at 11AM, Saturday, November 15, 2014 at St. Rose Catholic Church, Clintonville, with Deacon Lincoln Wood officiating. Interment will follow at the St. Rose Catholic Cemetery, Clintonville.

Friends may call from 9 AM at the church until the time of the service.  

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Arbor View Gardens E10540 Cty Rd. C Clintonville, WI 54929

The Oesterreich family would like to thank ThedaCare At Home Hospice, Nancy Dionne RN, Matt and Casey from Community Care. As well as all of the staff at Pine Manor Health Care Center for the great care they provided to Virginia during her short stay. 

The Eberhardt-Stevenson Funeral Home & Crematory, Clintonville is assisting the family with the arrangements.

An online guestbook can be found at eberhardtstevenson.com.    

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