WAUWATOSA-Marian Wadewitz, age 88, was born to Eternal Life on Tuesday, January 11, 2022.  Marian was the beloved wife for 56 years of the late Richard A. Wadewitz who preceded her in death in August 2018.  Dear mother of Gretchen (Geoff Strehlow) Wadewitz and Tom (Donna) Wadewitz and loving grandmother of Dakota and Mackenzie Wadewitz.   

Visitation Saturday, January 29, 2022 from 10:00am until Time of Service at 12:15PM followed by a luncheon in the Community Room at the Schmidt & Bartelt Funeral Home, 10121 W. North Avenue, Wauwatosa.  Private interment Union Cemetery in Slinger, WI. Memorials to Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship or Community Evangelical Free Church, Platteville appreciated. 

Marian was born in Watertown, WI. Daughter of Gertrude Dring Schultz and Walter Schultz.

She grew up in Lake Mills with her sister Janet on the family’s apple orchard near Rock Lake.  Marian attended grade school at Newville Country school and remembered those years as very happy. At the age of 11 she lost her mother to tuberculosis. Her dream was to become a teacher of elementary age children and although her family was poor, they managed to send her to Whitewater Normal School where she completed a 2 year course for rural elementary teachers. After two years of teaching at Hyer Rural School she decided to attend Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC. While studying there she became aware of her need for a relationship with Jesus Christ and she became one of His children.

After graduation, she taught for one year at a Mennonite School in Mountain Lake, MN and the following year, she moved to a position in Madison at the Herbert Schenk School. During her four years teaching in Madison, she met her husband Richard "Dick" Wadewitz who was teaching and coaching basketball at Milwaukee Lincoln High School.  Dick and Marian moved to Platteville when he accepted a position which led to becoming the head basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin – Platteville.

Marian and Dick lived in Platteville for 53 years where they raised their daughter Gretchen and their son Tom.  While not an avid sports fan, Marian faithfully attended and cheered on the Pioneer basketball team for many years.  Marian and Dick were founding members of Community Evangelical Free Church of Platteville and she was blessed with many strong Christian friendships through the Church.  Marian and Dick welcomed many UW-Platteville students into their home over the years when the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship chapter was meeting there.  Later in life, Marian and Dick moved to a retirement home in Milwaukee, WI to be close to their daughter and son-in-law Gretchen and Geoff.