Vickie A. Heiar
Vickie A. Heiar, 66, of Berlin, died early Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, at ThedaCare Berlin after a 20-year struggle with a neurological disability followed by a severe stroke. Her husband, Greg, was by her side.
Vickie was born May 27, 1955, in the Boscobel hospital to the late Carl and Belva (Ward) Laufenberg, of Mt Hope. She was the oldest of four daughters to Carl and Belva.
Vickie was the salutatorian of her 1973 graduating class at West Grant High School, Patch Grove, where Vickie was proud to be chosen as a Badger Girls State representative in 1972. She was very active in school, belonging to the annual staff, drama club, GAA, glee club, solo ensemble, forensics, school newspaper, lib. club, National Honor Society, all-star chorus, flag corps, triple trio and A.V. club.
Vickie attended UW-Platteville for her first three years, 1973-75, and graduated from Lakeland College in 1983 with a B.A. in business accounting. In between, she hitched up with her husband after he graduated in 1975, and moved from Lancaster, to Mauston, Monticello, Iowa, Plymouth, and Wisconsin Dells, before settling in Berlin where they’ve lived since 1986. Vickie worked at the Berlin School District administrative office for more than a dozen years before her neurological disability forced her to retire about 2002.
Vickie was an avid hunter, hunting rabbits and deer with her dad from age 13 to only about 10 years ago. The story goes that when she and Greg were dating, on Sundays before they were leaving for the UW-Platteville dorms, he would call her on the phone, wondering what she was doing. “Skinning the Rabbits!” was her usual reply. Followed by, “What are you doing?” His usual reply was, “Oh, I’m ironing my jeans.”
Vickie was very active with the serving staff at the Knights of Columbus Club on Friday night fish fries. She was proud to continue following the kids through their high school graduations, college, marriages, and children, sending congratulations cards to many of them.
Vickie was very proud of her family, and was involved with her children, Miranda and Doug, with their many school activities and family outings, such as tent camping, Boy Scouts, campfire, several school band and chorus trips, including the two weeks she spent with Miranda and the Spanish class trip to Spain in 2000.
The sparkle in her eyes lit up every time she could see her grandchildren, Anton and Joseylnn, children of Miranda and Jermicah. And Vickie was always excited to see Doug, and his long-time girlfriend, DaNae, when they would go to or he would come back from L.A.
Vickie is survived by her husband, Greg; daughter, Miranda (Jermicah) Jackson; and son, Douglas (DaNae Martinez). She is further survived by grandchildren, Anton and Joselynn Jackson; sisters, Sharon Morgan (Todd Yeomans) and Ruth (Thad) McIntosh, both from Prairie du Chien, and many aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.
Vickie was preceded in death by her parents, and younger sister, Betty.
Family and friends may visit with the family and pay their respects to Vickie on Wednesday, Sept. 29, from 4-6:45 p.m. with a rosary at 6:45, followed by a Knights of Columbus service at 7 p.m. at the Wiecki-Skipchak Funeral Home of Berlin, and also on Thursday, Sept. 30, from 9:30-11:15 a.m. at the funeral home. A Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will follow the Thursday visitation at 11:30 at All Saints Catholic Parish of Berlin, with Father John Silva officiating and homily by Monsignor Don Heiar.
There will also be a visitation at the Martin Schwartz Funeral Home in Bloomington, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Friday, Oct. 1, followed by burial in the St. Lawrence O’Toole Cemetery of Mt. Hope.
For more information, and to view a tribute video dedicated to Vickie’s memory, visit www.wiecki skipchakfuneralhome.com.
