Christine Ann Johnston-Buerger

Christine Ann Johnston-Buerger

March 30, 1961 - April 19, 2025

After a stoic battle with colon cancer, Christine (Chris) Ann Johnston-Buerger (nee Barr), 64, of Brownsville peacefully succumbed on Saturday, April 19, at home surrounded by family.

Chris was born on March 30, 1961, in Phillips, Wisconsin, to Allan and Virginia (nee Konetchy) Barr. She graduated from Wauwatosa West in 1979. Growing up, she was very close with her sister, Jeanne, doing everything together, including working at Howard Johnsons throughout their high school years and attending Cosmetology school together.

Chris married Jeffrey Johnston on September 9, 1995, in Wauwatosa. The couple moved to Hartford, where they welcomed their baby girl, Hailey Marie, in October 2000.

Chris met Kevin Buerger on a blind date in 2008 through a mutual friend, Jimmy Quednow. They both knew from the start that this would be their forever. Chris married the love of her life, Kevin, on May 25, 2012, in an intimate ceremony. Chris and Hailey moved to a farmhouse outside Brownsville with Kevin and found a love for country living, where she would reside until her final breath.

Throughout her life, Chris held so many positions that exhibited all of her creativity and talents including, but not limited to: being a florist, owning her salon (Image Makers) for twelve years, obtaining her surgical technician degree graduating as Valedictorian, being a Traveling Vineyard consultant, bartending at the Schauer Arts Center, and landing her dream job at Fox Valley Plastic Surgery as a medical aesthetician. Chris did everything wholeheartedly and mastered everything she did.

Chris loved hosting parties, always making sure everyone felt welcome and had a great time. Her homemade meals were something special - always made with love and served with a “bon appétit.” Family was everything to her, and she cherished every moment spent laughing, cooking, and celebrating with loved ones. Chris had a way of turning ordinary gatherings into joyful memories, and those who knew her will always remember her warmth, kindness, and passion for bringing people together.

Chris’ greatest passion was her daughter, Hailey. She lived to attend all of the dance recitals, basketball and softball games, and academic banquets. Chris was Hailey’s biggest cheerleader, never missing an event, sitting in the stands with a smile on her face. She always enjoyed having Hailey’s friends and teammates over, always ensuring the house was stocked with everyone’s snacks of choice and making sure everyone felt at home.

Those left to cherish Chris’ memories include her loving husband, Kevin; daughter, Hailey (Austin) Johnston; father and stepmother, Allan and Eileen Barr; sister, Jeanne (Thomas) Stetz; step-sisters, Linda (Patrick) Stewart and Lisa (Steve) Duca; niece, Jaclyn (Brent) Luckow and their children, Alyssa, Emma, and Avery; nephew, Ryan (Katie) Stetz; mother-in-law, Jean Buerger; brother-in-law, Jeff (Carol) Buerger; and sister-in-law, Kayla Miller; and previous father-in-law and mother-in-law, Bob and Susie Johnston.

Chris is preceded in death by her grandparents, as well as her mother, Virginia; father-in-law, Joseph; brother-in-law, Peter; and beloved dogs Penny, Buddy, and Cole.

The family would like to give a special thanks to Chris’ great friend, Anne Wegner; Hailey’s mother-in-law, Brenda Ziemer; as well as the SSM Cancer Center, SSM Home Hospice, Schauer Arts Center, and Fox Valley Plastic Surgery.

There will be a Celebration of Life in late summer, with a date to be determined.

Myrhum-Patten Funeral & Cremation Service has been entrusted with Christine’s arrangements. For additional information or to leave an online condolence on the tribute wall, please visit www.myrhum-patten.com.