Elizabeth G. Coon

Elizabeth G. Coon, age 93, of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin passed away surrounded by love Thursday, September 8, 2011 at the St. Clare Hospice House in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

Friends may call at the Davis Corners United Methodist Church on Saturday, September 17, 2011 from 9 a.m. until the time of service at 11:30 a.m. Pastor Steve Miller will officiate. Interment will be at the Davis Corners Cemetery, Town of Jackson, Adams County, Wisconsin.
Many close to her will best remember Elizabeth, simply as Liz a kind, loving lady, with spirit. She was a dedicated wife and mother and assisted in running the family businesses with her late husband Warren. In her later years, she remained active in the Davis Corners Church and Ladies Aide, and was a member of the Order of Eastern Star, and dearly loved and treasured private family times.
Elizabeth was born on December 1, 1917 to Joseph and Edith Gay in the Town of Douglas near Briggsville, WI. Being the first girl in many years to a family of traditional boys, she learned early on to have spunk to keep up with her older brothers. She shared a fondness for her pets, feeding and watching birds out her window, brilliantly colored flowers, her school books, and as a young child growing up around Neenah Creek the love of outdoors and summer days hanging out at the local baseball field in Briggsville watching her Father and her brothers play baseball. Growing up in a large family during the Depression her mother also taught her to treasure the simpler things in life and the importance of a good education. Elizabeth attended elementary school in Briggsville, WI and then Portage High School. As customary at the time, her parents sought to have her board in a home in Portage during high school and returned to help her parents on their family farm during the summer. Elizabeth graduated from Portage High School in May of 1935 and was always very proud to have been a member on the girl’s high school’s basketball team. Many times through the years she would remark that being on the team was definitely a highlight of her high school years. Growing up we can fondly remember her mentioned this thinking – they really had basketball way back then!
Upon graduation, Elizabeth decided to go into a career of teaching. She attended teacher’s training in Westfield, WI and graduated in May of 1936 with a Common School Diploma, and graduated from Stevens Point University with her teaching degree. She then went on to teach in a one-room school teaching 1-8th grades near her home in Briggsville, and later in the elementary school in Oxford, WI.;
During this time, Leslie looking out for little sis, introduced her to her future husband Warren Coon. A few years later while Warren was stationed in the Army-Air Corp. in St. Louis, Missouri, Warren and Elizabeth were united in marriage on August 3, 1941 during a private ceremony.
They returned to Wisconsin after Warren’s discharge and lived for a brief time with Warren’s parents prior to purchasing their farm on County B. In those early years Elizabeth taught school in nearby Oxford. But, once they had purchased their first Chevy truck other endeavors as owner-operators of a small trucking concern began.
In 1948, their first son Duane was born. Over the next several years Donna, Diane, Delores, and Dennis also joined their family. During those early years, Warren and Elizabeth did custom farm trucking, purchased school buses, both drove bus for the Wisconsin Dells School District, hauled sand and gravel locally, and expanded their trucking business to include lime and excavating work. Shortly after Dennis was born Warren and Elizabeth had successfully established the first rural Ready Mix Concrete Company on County B. Warren and Elizabeth owned and operated the Ready Mix Concrete Company with Liz maintaining the books for the business until the spring of 1964, when the family sold that part of the business and moved to Deep Lake.
Soon after the move to Deep Lake, Warren and Elizabeth proceeded to rebuild a smaller trucking and excavating business (which was later owned and operated by his son Dennis, and wife Marion), and established Coons’ Deep Lake Campground and Mobile Home Park, (now owned and managed by her youngest daughter Delores Rockwell-Benish, and her husband George Benish).
Elizabeth and Warren continued to travel, take short camping trips up North fishing, or pulling a 5th-wheel in the winter months to Florida and later to Texas, until Warren’s health failed. They continued to enjoy their rides around the block hoping for a chance to see local wildlife and spending time by the cabin with Diane and Ed for Sunday picnics. After Warren’s death Elizabeth continued to live in her home until moving to Our House Senior Living facility in Wisconsin Dells, WI.

Elizabeth was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Edith (Gray) Gay, her husband Warren Walter Coon, brothers, Leslie, James, Raymond, and Wilmer Gay. She is survived by her sister Lois (Gay) Bescup of Portage, WI, his two sons, Duane W. (Holly) Coon of Palisade, CO; and Dennis W. (Marion) Coon of Melbourne, AR, three daughters, Donna L. (Ned) Wood Jr. of Wisconsin Dells, WI; Diane (Ed) Elderkin of Grand Marsh, WI, Delores Rockwell-Benish (George Benish) of Oxford, WI.
She was also survived by five grand children; Michael (Dawn) Wood, Beaver Dam, WI; Christopher J. (Meghan) Coon, Madison, WI; Marcy Wood-Theiss, Wisconsin Dells, WI; Scott (Emilie) Rockwell, Wisconsin Dells, WI; Elizabeth (Jeremy) Hendricksen Arkdale, WI and seventeen great-grand children and cousins, nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.
Elizabeth will be missed and fondly remembered by family and friends. Thank you Mom, for all of the wonderful memories we shared.