Obituaries & Guestbook

Barbara “Barb” Elliott, 89, Oconto Falls, died Saturday morning, May 28, 2022 at Serenity Gardens in Gillet, where she recently moved.  She was born April 24, 1933 in Waukesha to Gustav and Eleanore (Long) Scheffel.  Following the death of her mother, Barb moved with her father, stepmother Gertrude Valentine Scheffel and siblings, Donald and Mary to Oconto Falls in 1948.  She graduated from Oconto Falls High School with the class of 1951.

On July 28, 1951 she married Howard Elliott at the Oconto Falls United Methodist Church and they were blessed with 10 children.  Barb was a nurse’s aide at Community Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls for 7 years, but always wanted to be a nurse.  After having 9 of her 10 children, she followed that dream and went back to school, attending LPN classes at NWTC and graduating in 1967.  She continued to work at CMH, retiring in 1996, after 35 years of doing what she loved.

As an active member of the Oconto Falls community, Barb, along with her husband, taught Hunters Safety for 30 years, were leaders of the Oconto Falls Area Ambulance Service for 17 years and were dedicated to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.  Barb volunteered for the hospital auxiliary, the Red Cross blood drives, taking vitals of senior citizens at the Senior Center, performed eye enucleations and worked as Deputy Coroner of Oconto County for many years.  She was a longtime member of the Oconto Falls United Methodist Church, volunteering as a youth counselor for six years.  She loved to go on trips with Howard and was an avid spoon collector, picking one up in every state they visited.  One of Barb’s favorite things to do was to hold babies.  With each addition to the family, she anxiously waited to meet and cuddle them.  Barb will be lovingly remembered as a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister and friend to all who knew her.

Survivors are her loving husband of 71 years, Howard Elliott Jr.; nine children, Mary Elliott, Green Bay; Susan (Jerry) Winter, Abrams; Joanne (Dennis) Winnega, Two Rivers; Patricia Elliott (Jim Christensen), Little Suamico; Howard (Linda) Elliott III and Douglas (Leia) Elliott, all of Oconto Falls; William (Sue) Elliott, Saunemin, IL; Richard Elliott (Barb Mand), Green Bay; David Elliott (Randall Herrin), Greenfield; 16 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren; one sister, Mary Scheffel, Cedarburg; half-brother, Mark (Linda) Scheffel, Reno, NV; nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, step mother, one daughter Eleanore (at the age of 17) and brother Don Scheffel.

Memorial services with the urn present will take place at the Oconto Falls United Methodist Church on Friday, July 29, 2022 at 11:00 am.  Burial will follow in Woodlawn Cemetery, Oconto Falls with a lunch to follow at the church.

The Elliott family would like to thank the many caregivers who helped Barb through this long journey, Cindy Boothman (who cared for her 10 years), Debbie Zabel, Ashley “Ash” (Mom’s angel), Julie Neumann, her Unity Hospice team and the staff at Serenity Gardens.  We truly appreciate the love and tender care you gave Barb, especially during her last days.

In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, memorials may be made to the Oconto Falls United Methodist Church.