Virgene “Jean” M. Ladd

Virgene Marie Ladd found peace on January 20, 2026.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Henry Dean and Lucille Loretta (Mayville) Colby. Also preceded by her siblings, Leslie Dean, Lottie, Eleanora, Donald, Lowell, Lloyd, Beverly, Dennis, and Nancy. She is survived by her 108 years old sister, Erma Peters of Neenah, WI. She is also survived by her children: Mary, Sheila, Belinda (Tanglain), Scott, Lucy, Warren, Odette (Mejias) and Gwen (John) Weninger. She is further survived by grandchildren, Rapeepete (Bella) Tanglain, Sarah, Elisa, and Samuel Mejias.

Virgene was born on February 22, 1932, the youngest of eleven children. She was raised on a dairy farm in Unity, WI. Her father passed away when she was 5 years old. She graduated from high school and then came to the Milwaukee area about 1955. She worked at the Sperry Candy Company in Milwaukee, where she met her future sister-in-law, Rose Ann. Rose Ann introduced Virgene to her brother, Glendon. They were married in Colby, WI, on August 6, 1960. They lived, worked, and raised their family in Milwaukee. She later worked at Adjustable Fixtures where she made lamps for colleges, universities, and hospitals. She retired in 1995.

Jean, as she liked to be called, loved to watch the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs games on TV. If they were not broadcast on TV, she would listen to the games on the radio, sometimes simultaneously. She loved to cheer on Brett Favre and Sammy Sosa. She cheered Sammy Sosa on during his home run hitting streak. During a Packers or Cubs game you would hear her cheering, “Go, go, go!”

Glendon, her husband of 54 years, passed away on March 9, 2015. She then lived with her youngest daughter, Gwen and son-in-law, John. She spent the last years of her life at the Harbour Village Senior Living facility in Greendale, WI. She enjoyed playing bingo, putting puzzles together, and doing word searches and crossword puzzles.

Jean was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. We helped her prove and document the service of her 3rd great grandfather, Barzillai Dewey, and her 2nd great grandfather, Silas Reynolds in the American Revolution. Jean’s grandfathers, Ephraim Mayville and William James Colby and her great grandfather, Hazen James Colby, served in the American Civil War for the North.

Virgene is a direct descendant of Pierre Miville dit Le Suisse and Charlotte Maugis of Quebec, Canada. There is much history of these immigrants from Switzerland to Canada. Pierre was a Swiss guard to Cardinal Richelieu. She is also a direct descendant of Rob Roy Macgregor. She is a distant cousin of Admiral George Dewey, who served in the Navy during the Civil War and Spanish American War.

Mom’s spirit has left her earthly body and has gone to her creator. She has found peace and will be watching over us. We love and will miss you mom.

Our family would like to thank all the caregivers and staff at Harbour Village for their love and devotion to the care of our mother.

Visitation will take place on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at St. Matthews Parish, 9303 South Chicago Road, Oak Creek, Wisconsin from 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM with a Service to begin at 10:00 AM.

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