Marian E. Steffens

Marian Emilia Steffens, age 99 years, passed into the arms of her heavenly Father Monday November 20, 2023 in her home at Azura Assisted Living, Mierow House, in Brookfield, Wisconsin.  Marian was born April 19, 1924 in Butternut, Wisconsin, the third of seven children of George and Eleanore Bruch. Marian grew up on the family farm in this small rural community in the northwest corner of the state sharing everything with her siblings from hand-me-down clothes to lard sandwiches. She always said life was not easy growing up as poor farmers during the Great Depression, but she also said it was a wonderful upbringing built on unconditional love and deep faith shared amongst all the family. “We had nothing, but we had everything” Marian would say. She learned well the value of hard work, positive attitude, and faith. These life lessons served her well after she moved off the farm with her sister Myrtle to the big city of Milwaukee after she graduated from Butternut High School in 1941. Given her abilities, she quickly found work and eventually worked for AC Delco, General Motors. In time Marian rose to the position of Executive Secretary of the Chief Engineer of the Apollo Moon Space Program. Through her work she met, and then in 1971, married the love of her life Ed Steffens. The couple lived and worked in Santa Barbara, California until their retirements in 1986. After Ed’s passing in 2004, Marian continued living in Santa Barbara until her family helped her move back to Wisconsin in November 2021. Marian was always very active. Marian loved to walk and was walking 2+ miles a day until about a month before she passed. She was also a world traveler with her husband Ed, and after Ed’s passing, with her friend Bill. On her 90^th birthday she celebrated by going on an African Safari! She traveled with some of her nephews and nieces back to Santa Barbara at the ages of 97 and 98 to celebrate her birthdays and party with her dear friends in California. In addition to her wanderlust, Marian was an accomplished tournament golfer, golfing each week until COVID restrictions ended the outings. She was also an excellent watercolor artist and an avid gardener. She loved her coffee and her daily helping of Nueske’s bacon; and playing cards, dancing, and spending as much time as possible with friends and family, especially her dear cousin Connie Tafelski, and her special friends Marie Mlodzik and Donna Klopstein. Marian was especially devoted to our Blessed Mother Mary, praying her rosary every day. When asked, which was quite often, what her secret to her long life was, she always said “I pray a lot and laugh a lot”. Her laughing, kindness, and her faith were her trademarks. Marian was a long-time member of St. Raphael Catholic Church in Santa Barabara, California, and then a member of both St. Dominic Catholic Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin, and Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Butternut, Wisconsin (her original home parish growing up). Marian and Ed had no children together but Ed had two sons, Gary Steffens and Jim Steffens, from a previous marriage. Marian has many nephews and nieces in Wisconsin who took loving care of her, along with all of her “family” of dear AC Delco friends in Santa Barbara. She was preceded in death by her parents George and Eleanore Bruch, her brothers Kenneth Bruch (Butternut, Wisconsin), Robert Bruch (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), and George Bruch (Brookfield, Wisconsin), her sister Myrtle Klotz (Pewaukee, Wisconsin), and her brothers-in-law James Pritzl (Park Falls, Wisconsin), and Eugene Klotz (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), and sister-in-law Ruth Bruch. She is survived by her sister Coreen Pritzl (Park Falls, Wisconsin), brother Myles (Billy) Bruch (Brookfield, Wisconsin), and sisters-in law Carol Bruch and Beverly Bruch (Brookfield, Wisconsin). She is also survived by numerous nephews, nieces, grand-nephews and grand-nieces, cousins, many from her AC Delco “family” in Santa Barbara, her two step-sons, and step-grandchildren.

A Funeral Mass will be held for Marian at St. Dominic Catholic Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin on Tuesday December 5, 2023 at 11:00 AM with Visitation beginning at 10:00 AM. A Memorial Service for Marian will be held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Butternut, Wisconsin, on Thursday, December 14, 2023, at 11:00 AM. She will be Interred at the St. Cecelia Catholic Cemetery in Butternut, Wisconsin.

The family is especially grateful to the amazing and loving care by Paula Ockwood of Assist@Home Quality Care and her Caregivers Laura, Lisa, Melanie, Chris, and Eva who spent countless hours with Marian and collectively walked hundreds of miles with Marian over the last two years.  The family is also so grateful for the loving care of Marian by Alexander Krueger and her staff at Azura Brookfield where Marian lived the past year, and by the staff of St. Croix Hospice who helped care for Marian in her last days.

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