Ardell C. (Poch) Priest

Ardell C. Priest (nee Poch), 92, of Lomira died peacefully in her sleep on Thursday, July 15, 2021, at Hospice Home of Hope in Fond du Lac.

She was born on May 26, 1929, to the late Herman and Adeline (nee Immel) Poch in the Town of Forest, Fond du Lac County, WI.  She was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in the Town of Forest. She graduated from WLA in Fond du Lac in 1946. On December 11, 1948, she was united in marriage to Marvin Priest at St. Paul’s Church in the Town of Forest. Together they raised their three daughters and farmed on the family dairy farm in the Town of Lomira until 1971. They moved to the Village of Lomira, where she worked with Marv at his American Family Insurance Agency.

Ardell was a member of the Dodge County Homemakers, St. John’s Ladies Aid, and the Lomira Lioness Club. She volunteered at the Lomira Blood Bank and worked for many elections at the Village of Lomira. Ardell won the Barbara Bush look-alike contest at the Fond du Lac County Fair in 1989.

Ardell enjoyed playing cards, going polka dancing, bowling, golfing, and watching the Brewers. Together she and Marv loved traveling and traveled the entire world, visiting six of the seven continents including Europe, China, and Russia. She especially enjoyed spending time with her family and was blessed with twin grandsons and four sets of twin great-grandchildren. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her.

Those Ardell leaves behind to cherish her memory include her three daughters, Kathy (Tom) O’Connor, Janet (Allan) Toellner, and Cheryl (Dean) Hartwig; eleven grandchildren, Dennis (Belinda) O’Connor, Debbie (Erin) Darvin, Dan (Rachel) O’Connor, Ami (Mike) DePew, Adam (Sarah) Toellner, Brent (fiancé Michelle) Toellner, Brad Toellner, Nick (Ashley) Hartwig, Holly Hartwig, Ben (Sarah) Hartwig, and Peter Hartwig; sixteen great-grandchildren, Elizabeth (fiancé Jacob), John, Sarah, Maura, and Maeve O’Connor, Claire, Hailey, Olivia, and Megan DePew, Hadley and Cade Toellner, Mason, Eliza, Quinten, Izetta, and Cozette Hartwig; two sisters, Karen (Norman) Raeder and Ruth (Merlin) Limberg; a brother, Dale (Pat) Poch; three sisters-in-law, Dorothy Poch, Helen Poch, and LaVerne Priest; many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, Marvin Priest; sister, Alice (Leonard “Butch”) Rosenbaum; two brothers, Lawrence “Sonny” Poch and Norbert Poch; sister-in-law, Dolores (Herman) Moldenhauer; and a brother-in-law, Merlin Priest.

A funeral service in remembrance of Ardell will be held on Tuesday, July 20, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 550 Water St., Lomira.

The family will greet relatives and friends at the church on Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. until 12:45 p.m.

Memorials in Ardell’s name to St. John’s Lutheran Church or WLA are appreciated by the family.

The family would like to thank the nurses and staff at Hope Senior Living and Hospice Home of Hope for all their help and care.

Myrhum-Patten Funeral & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Ardell’s arrangements. Please consider signing our online guest book (www.myrhum-patten.com) to share your condolences with the family. Cards addressed to the family may be sent in the care of Myrhum-Patten Funeral and Cremation Service, 1315 W. Washington Street, West Bend, WI 53095.