Nancy L. (Strobel) Natzke

Nancy was born in Merrill on January 13, 1937, to Edward and Nettie (Mathison) Strobel. She graduated from St. John Elementary School and Merrill High School with the Class of 1955. After high school, she furthered her education at the Lincoln County Teacher’s College and graduated in 1958. She taught at many schools over her career.  

On June 20, 1959, Nancy was united in marriage to Jerry Natzke at St. John Lutheran Church in Merrill. After their wedding, they moved to Milwaukee and started their family. They lived in southeastern Wisconsin for 35 years, before returning to Merrill in 1995. 

As a young girl, Nancy enjoyed swimming and skating. She had a love of music throughout her entire life, including drums, playing piano, and singing in church choirs. She enjoyed many different sports – softball, bowling, and golf, and was an avid Packers fan. She enjoyed the outdoors, especially camping with her family and snowmobiling and ATV’ing on her own machines. Nancy had a great love for animals, especially her many dogs and horses. She volunteered at the School Forest, Reading Buddies, and Bell Tower. 

Nancy is survived by her husband, Jerry; children, Jeffry (Laurie) Natzke, Juli Natzke, Jodi Natzke, and Joel Natzke; grandchildren, David (See) Natzke, Bryan Hoerning, Marc (Lauren) Leitner, Erin (Cody) Wedde, and Abigail Natzke; great-grandchildren, Kenleigh, Joanna, Evan, Greg, Raven, Jacob, Eli, Emma, and Liam; brother-in-law, George (Nancy) Natzke; sisters-in-law, Carol (Greg) Zoellner and Sandra Hamlin; and other relatives and friends. 

Nancy was preceded in death by her infant daughter; grandson, Jason Hannon; parents, Ed and Nettie Strobel; sister, Mardelle (Larry) Dotter; in-laws, George and Myrtle (Henson) Natzke; brother-in-law, Jim (Bonnie) Natzke; and nephew, Jay Natzke. 

A public memorial will be held at a later date. UPDATE:  A Memorial Service for Nancy will be held on Saturday, January 21, 2023, from 3pm-5pm at Bell Tower Residence in the Assisi Hall.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Nancy’s name to Bell Tower Residence. 

Nancy’s family would like to thank the staff at Bell Tower for the tremendous care and support they have provided to Nancy and the entire family over the past eight years. 

If you would like to leave a message of sympathy for Nancy’s family, please visit www.waidfuneral.com.