The Blaney Family Website: Lee Kolb

Rosalie "Lee" Kolb

Mrs. William (Rosalie "Lee") Kolb, 73 of De Pere, died Tuesday, October 2, 2007 after a 30 year battle with rheumatoid arthritis.

She was born March 9, 1934 in Little Chute to George and Catherine (Rutten) VandeLogt. On July 10, 1954, she married William Kolb at St. Mary Catholic Church in De Pere. In her younger years, Lee had a number of jobs and a little later in her life she worked part-time for the Press-Gazette, mostly because it afforded her a social opportunity. Lee's most important job, the one she took most seriously and the one she truly loved was raising her seven children. Lee was a good mom. She attended the teacher meetings, went to the kid's sporting events, helped with the scouts and seemed to always be making cookies. She also enjoyed baking and decorating cakes for friends and family members for special occasions and she was good at it. Raising seven children is a tough job and Lee was a good sport. As Stuart said at her funeral, "What kind of mom would think it would be fun to take a family of nine camping?"

Even after her arthritis was diagnosed in 1978, Lee was still a trooper. She made afghans for many family members, Barbie Doll clothes and Christmas ornaments for her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Those Christmas ornaments are cherished more now than ever before. Her arthritis may have altered her life but it never defined her life. She endured many trips to the doctors, hospitals and clinics while at the same time continuing to make trips to school meetings and athletic events for younger children and later Masses and special events for her 11 grandchildren. Lee enjoyed their cottage at Athelstane for many years but when Lee and Bill were well into their 60s they decided to sell it and buy another, this one in Egg Harbor. With a strong vision of what was possible, she and Bill bought a "fixer-upper" and turned it into the beautiful place that it is today. It seemed to her children that the Egg Harbor cottage revitalized their Mom.

Through it all, fun times, sad times, difficult times, good health and bad, there was always her faith. Lee was a devout Catholic with a strong devotion to the Rosary. She was a member of the St. Mary Catholic Community for virtually her entire life.

She is survived by her husband, William "Bill" Kolb, seven children and their spouses, Debbie Kolb, Franklin; Pam and John Jenk, Hales Corners; Mark and Carolyn Kolb, Hudson; Lisa Maas, Stuart and Pam Kolb, Mary Kolb, all of Green Bay; Bill and Amy Kolb, Brookfield; 11 grandchildren, Leah, Austin, Jennifer, Eric, Veronica, Mariah, Mackenzie, Benjamin, Brittany, Rachel, Connor; a brother and sister-in-law, Elmer and Evelyn VandeLogt, California; a sister-in-law, Audrey VandeLogt, Menasha, her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Gene Kolb, Ruby and Bob Ahasay, Lloyd and Beverly Kolb, Darrell Kolb, Nancy (Jerry Kolb) Ringblom, many nieces and nephews, cousins and a very dear friend, Marie McDonough Rowe.

She was preceded in death by her parents, a son-in-law, Bob Maas, a sister, Trudy Kolb, three brothers, Anthony, Bernard, and Yvoine VandeLogt, her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Anthony and Pearl (Spear) Kolb.

Kolbs are a close knit family but Lee was especially close to her sister, Trudy. They married brothers and raised their families across the street from each other. Trudy died just three months before Lee.

Lee is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, just two blocks from her home.