Margaret Gratz, 97, of Eau Claire passed away Tuesday June 2, 2015 at Oakwood Villa Nursing Home where she had been a resident for the past ten months. Margaret was born on October 21, 1917, at her grandfather's farm near Menomonie, Wisconsin to Otto and Ida (Graske) Boetcher. She was the oldest of eight children, six boys and two girls. She attended grade school in Cedar Falls and Menomonie. She was graduated from Dunn County Aggie in 1935. She then completed a one-year teaching course at Dunn County Normal which prepared her to teach in one room rural schools. For the next seven years she taught all eight grades in various schools in Dunn County, During WWII Margaret spent one summer working in the cafeteria of the Ordinance Plant in Eau Claire. Virgil Gratz had come from Ohio to manage the food service. They married on December 26, 1943 in St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Menomonie, Wisconsin. After her marriage she assisted her husband in various food service ventures at locations including the Eau Claire Golf and Country Club, Presto, UW-EC and their own Gratz Café. Margaret returned to college at UW-EC and obtained a two-year degree and then completed the work for a B.S. Degree in Elementary Education at age forty-five. Seven years later she earned a Master's Degree in Junior High Education at the same school. For seventeen years, beginning in 1962, she taught at Central Junior High School in Eau Claire. During the final two years of her teaching career, she became involved in teaching English to Hmong and Vietnamese students. After retiring from teaching she spent five more years as a tutor in the Eau Claire School District teaching English to Hmong, Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese adolescents as well as a second grader from Norway. As a result Margaret became an advocate for and friend to many Hmong families. She was part of a community organization that helped them. She often spoke at civic and church groups about the Hmong. When they organized the Hmong Mutual Assistance Organization she was made an honorary member of their Board of Directors. Margaret was involved with and held various offices in many civic and church organizations including the American Association of University Women, Delta Kappa Gamma, Eau Claire Area Retired Educators, Eau Claire Refugee Advisory Committee, Hmong Mutual Assistance Association, Lake Street United Methodist Women, and Church Women United. Her other interests included visiting with people, playing cards, reading, sewing, doing puzzles of various kinds and writing. The writing lead her to having many articles published in magazines and newspapers. She also penned the history of her church, which was published in conjunction with its 150th anniversary as well as a memoir. In 1991 she was recognized by the Eau Claire Exchange Club for her many volunteer effort when she was awarded their Book of Golden Deeds. Margaret is survived by her sons, Samuel (Nadine), of Madison and David (Deborah) of Eau Claire. She is further survived by step-children, who she always accepted as her own, Emil (Betty) of Hudson and Emily (Richard Kent) Stonehill of Lima, Ohio; brothers, John of Altoona, WI, Kenneth of Seattle, WA, and Donald, of Watertown, WI; fourteen grandchildren; thirty-one great grandchildren; three great-great grandchildren; and Bev Maser, a friend who was like a daughter. She was preceded in death by Virgil, just one month after they celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary; a step-daughter, Marilynn (Louis) Fett; brothers, Eugene, Bert and Marvin; a sister, Janet Sipple Leach; and a great grandson, Matthew Joel Krussel. Funeral services for Margaret will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, June 11, 2015, at Lake Street United Methodist Church, 337 Lake St. in Eau Claire. Visitation will be held from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral Home, 814 First Ave. in Eau Claire, and also one hour prior to the service on Thursday at church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be sent to Lake Street United Methodist Women, 337 Lake Street, Eau Claire, WI 54703 or to the charity of your choice.

Service Information

Cemetery

Rest Haven Cemetery 5750 Old Town Hall Road Eau Claire WI 54701

Visitation

Wednesday, June 10 2015 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral & Cremation Services 814 First Avenue Eau Claire WI 54703

Funeral Service

Thursday, June 11 2015 11:00 AM

Lake Street United Methodist Church 337 Lake Street Eau Claire WI 54703