Catherine “Kate” Hosig

Catherine “Kate” Hosig

Catherine “Kate” Hosig, 88 of Adams, Wisconsin passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, on Saturday, June 4, 2022 at The Residence at Shelburne Bay in Shelburne, Vermont.

Kate was born May 19, 1934 to Robert S. and Frances Hawley McNown on the family farm in Mauston, Wisconsin; members of a Wisconsin Pioneer Family who arrived in Juneau County from Canada in 1849.

Kate attended grades 1-8 in a one room school house at Mile Bluff School. Kate graduated from Mauston High School in 1952, and then earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Education from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1956 and her Master’s Degree in Education Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1962. Kate was a member of the Theta Sigma Upsilon Sorority.

On her birthday in 1956 she married Wilfred “Bill” Hosig, also from Mauston, on her family’s farm. They lived first on the island in Friendship, and then in Adams, Wisconsin until they moved to an assisted living in Wisconsin Rapids (2019). After Bill’s death, Kate was moved to an assisted living in Shelburne, Vermont (2020) so that she could be near her daughter.

Kate first taught 2nd grade in Lodi, then kindergarten in Boscobel commuting in Kate and Bill’s 1930 Ford Model A, and then kindergarten in Adams. During a big snowstorm, the town snow plow drove across Friendship Lake to pick up the town kindergarten teacher from her home on the island so there would be school. After staying home while raising their children, she returned to teaching as a substitute in the Adams School District, conducted kindergarten screening, worked as a school psychologist, and taught child care courses through Mid-State Technical College (MSTC) in Adams where she had also served on the Board of Directors. Kate served as President of the Adams County Library Board, organized the Adams County Mental Health Association, was an active member of Homemakers, and adored her time attending events at the Adams and Juneau County Historical Societies.

Before she and Bill had children, they loved to travel out west with friends. They were camping in Yellowstone National Park during the great earthquake of 1959. In 1998 she attended the first world-wide McNown family reunion in Ireland and traveled through Great Britain with family members.

One of Kate’s passions was raising her children. She drove them to swimming, ballet, piano, cub scouts, band, baseball, basketball, skiing and roller skating. She baked a lot of chocolate sheet cakes for bake sales for school fundraisers and chaperoned every field trip. The dance and sports uniforms were always ready and the meals were always on the table. She made every birthday and holiday memorable.

She adored her four grandsons and although they lived far away, she followed all their activities through pictures and phone calls. Kate and Bill made many trips to visit them when they were little. She loved when her kids and grandkids would visit in the summertime.

Kate loved nature and particularly enjoyed drives in the wooded hills of western Wisconsin to view wildflowers in the spring and colored leaves in the fall, as well as taking walks in the woods. She was quite knowledgeable about wild flowers, plants and birds. She was very interested in Wisconsin history and geography. She enjoyed collecting antiques, visiting places of historical interest, attending plays and concerts, reading, cooking and baking. Kate and Bill enjoyed going to garage sales, spending time in the woods at the lake lot, and going out to eat with friends for Friday Night Fish Fry.

Kate was preceded in death by her husband and parents, sisters Barbara McNown Seitz, brother-in-law Gerald Seitz, and Lorelei (Steven Hanson) McNown, brother Robert Edward “Ed” McNown, mother-in-law and father-in-law Ruby and Roger Hosig, and sisters-in-law Carol Hosig and Marianne (Edward) Hosig.

She is survived by her sister Marjorie (Steven) McNown Zwickel, her children and their spouses Jeanne (Hosig) Mulac and Dieter Mulac of Colchester, VT, and Brian Hosig and Kristyn (Janson) Hosig of Greenacres, WA, and grandchildren Devin, Justin, and Jordan Mulac and Jacob Hosig, and many very special nieces and nephews.

A Joint Celebration of Life for both Kate and Bill will begin with Visiting Hours held from 4pm-7pm at Roseberry’s Funeral Home in Friendship, WI on Friday, August 12, 2022. A Graveside Service will be held at 11am at the Mauston City Cemetery on Saturday, August 13, 2022, followed by a luncheon.

In lieu of flowers, please donate in Kate’s memory to the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI or the Adams or Juneau County Historical Societies.