Beverly J. Friess

On Tuesday, November 23, 2021, Beverly “Bev” Friess, loving wife and mother of two children, passed away at the age of 78. She was born in Oakfield on November 21, 1943, to Lawrence and Viola (Zills) Wendt. Bev was the fifth out of six children, raised to be head strong and independent. She graduated from Oakfield High School in 1961 and shortly after, she became a Program Assistant for the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. Bev married Gary “Louie” Friess on October 8, 1966, and together they had two children, Gregory, and Jodie. After retirement, Bev enjoyed reading a good book, playing cards with friends and spending time with her grandchildren. You could almost always find her with her nose in a book.



Those that knew Bev knew her for her quick wit and generosity. She had a passion for helping others, which she turned into a career at the DVR. She raised her children to be kind and courageous, just as she was. She was an animal lover and opened her home to all kinds of rescue animals, even going as far as adopting an abandoned fox on her honeymoon. She loved to spend time camping with her family in Neshkoro or hanging out at her condo in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.



She spent the latter part of her life caring for her three grandchildren, Cora, Sydney, and Quinten. Her home became their second home as they grew up. There wasn’t a single performance or game that Bev missed of her grandchildren’s. It is hard to define Bev in a few paragraphs, as there are not words to describe the impact that she had on her loved ones. She would have dropped what she was doing in a heartbeat to take care of any of her loved ones, if need be. She was the selfless kind of person that you do not see too often anymore, and she will be greatly missed by all that knew and loved her.



Surviving are her two children, Gregory Friess and Jodie Erdman; three grandchildren, Cora Erdman, Sydney Friess, and Quinten Friess; and three siblings, Janette (Philip) Ruck, Kenneth Wendt, and Diane (Stephen) Strupp. She is further survived by a sister-in-law, Joan Wendt; three brothers-in-law, Thomas (Lorna) Friess, Peter (Susan) Friess, and Michael (Linda) Friess; nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Lawrence, and Viola; her husband, Gary; a brother, Arden Wendt; a sister, Judith (Dale) Jefferson; her son-in-law, Jay Erdman; and two sisters-in-law, Mary Jo Friess and Jean Wendt.



Visitation will be held from 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM, Friday, December 3, 2021, at Uecker-Witt Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held at 10:00 AM, Saturday, December 4, 2021, at the funeral home with visitation from 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM. A private burial in St. Charles Cemetery will take place Monday, December 6, 2021.



Services are in the care of Uecker-Witt Funeral Home, 524 North Park Avenue, Fond du Lac, WI, 54935. Additional information and guestbook can be found at ueckerwitt.com