Our Mother's name was Romona Riebe, but to those who knew and loved her, she was always "Ronnie" (Aunt Ronnie to all the cousins). Her given name was Romona "Nonya" Stankievtz. She passed onto her heavenly home early on the morning of March 31st at the age of 99 with her daughter by her side.

Her parents immigrated from Russia before she was born and settled in New Britain, CT, where she was born on June 17, 1925. The family, her father, Stephen, her mother, Helena, her brothers and sisters (Joseph, John, Nancy, and Sophie), and she worked a truck farm, where she was raised and learned her almost obsessive work ethic.

Sometime in the late 40s while living in Chicago she answered an ad for kitchen help up in Alaska which is where she met and married the love of her life, Frederick "Fritz" Riebe. Fritz and Ronnie were two of a kind and their pairing was perfect for the adventurous life they would lead together.

In the then wilds of Anchorage, Fritz managed the city bus company and the two of them managed a trailer park. Her two children, Robin and Theda were born there. They left Alaska in the early 50s and except for one winter in Chicago the family settled in southern California. As a boy Fritz spent summers on the farm of his father's sister, Gertie, and her husband, Clarence Lund. With his memory of those summers and Ronnie's of growing up on the farm back in Connecticut, they shared a dream of owning a farm. They worked hard, sometimes at multiple jobs, saved their money and in 1960 bought an old flatbed truck and like the Beverly Hillbillies in reverse, they loaded up everything they owned and headed to Wisconsin, America's Dairyland, and bought a dairy farm just outside of Edgar.

Later, when they decided the price of milk didn't allow them the extra cash they needed to make the improvements they wanted to make, Fritz took a second shift job as a machinist for Murray Machinery in Wausau. Other than milking at midnight and noon, Monday through Friday Ronnie and the kids ran the farm. Except in the summer when the cousins rotated in and out and "Aunt Ronnie" saw to it that chores were done by all, but they also had lots of fun.

When they sold the farm in the early 70s they bought a part-ownership in the Log Cabin Restaurant in Schofield and while Fritz continued working for Murray's, Ronnie managed the restaurant's kitchen.

Eventually, after stops in Lake Tahoe, San Diego, and back to Connecticut they settled in Big Lake, Minnesota. After Fritz retired they moved back to Wausau where they would live the rest of their days with the exception of wintering in Las Vegas.

Fritz died in 2005 after 56 years of marriage. Thereafter, Ronnie lived alone keeping herself busy volunteering in the kitchen at the Salvation Army, gardening, taking bus trips to casinos, and in the summer fishing with Theda and her granddaughter Nicole.

Finally the time came at the age of 90, she could no longer live alone so she moved into the Renaissance in Weston in November 2015 and lived there for the next 9 ½ years. She also was known as "Ronnie" and brought so much joy to those around her. She was very hard of hearing so she spoke VERY loudly to everyone and could always be heard as she came down the halls, often yelling, "Where am I suppose to go!?" and so everyone knew that Ronnie was up! She had such a positive attitude and seemed to always find something nice to say to everyone she met. She also loved to play Bingo and for a long time attended exercise classes every day, besides trolling down the halls with her walker, doing laps around the outside hallways.

Romona Riebe is survived by her children, Robin Riebe of Wausau, daughter, Theda Hewuse of Kronenwetter; grandchildren Steven Riebe, Eric Neubauer, Nicole Gaiche, and Daniel Riebe; and great-grandchildren Chase Gaiche, Tyler Riebe, Eli Neubauer, and Jackson Neubauer.

A Celebration of Ronnie's Life will be held at the Renaissance for her friends & workers that she lived with for so many years on Friday, April 11th at 1:00. On Easter Sunday her family will also celebrate her life and will finally take a trip back to the farm they so much loved.

Mid Wisconsin Cremation Society is assisting family at this time.  Online condolences may be expressed at MWCS.WS