Ila Mary (Fralich) Haubert

Ila Mary Haubert (nee Fralich) died peacefully on February 3, 2021, at the age of 93.  She is survived by her daughter Kathryn, and many dear nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Fred, in 2009.

Ila was born in Fort Atkinson, WI on August 10, 1927. She was the only child of Sidney and Hildegard Fralich, and grew up in a four generation household with her parents, paternal grand parents, and a great grandmother. During the depression, the family even squeezed a couple of boarders into their 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom home. It’s no wonder that Ila enjoyed being around people throughout her life.

Upon graduation from Fort Atkinson High School, Ila entered the Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing, in Milwaukee. She graduated as an RN in1948, and continued on to do post-graduate studies at the prestigious Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital in Jersey City, NJ. Ila then returned to Milwaukee, where she worked as an obstetrics nurse, and met her future husband, Fred. She dutifully became a stay-at-home mother after Kathryn was born, however she still did occasional work from home. This included typing the entire manuscript for a book on obstetrics, on a manual typewriter, from dictaphone recordings made by the author. Ila threw herself into the tasks of home life as well, becoming an expert seamstress, learning to upholster furniture, cooking, baking, canning, and keeping a spotless house.

After Fred’s retirement, Ila followed him in his dream to move to the north woods, closer to where he grew up. They moved to Winter, WI in the early 1980’s. There, Ila volunteered at the library, volunteered on ambulance runs for a time, and, as always, was active in her church. After Fred’s death, Ila decided to relocate. She moved to Waupaca in 2012, where she had ties to family, and would be only half as far from Kathryn in Madison. Her years in Waupaca were some of her happiest. She reconnected with many of her cousins, made lots of new friends, and thrived.

While still in her teens, Ila began studying voice, and singing remained an important part of her life. Because of her interest in voice, she was frequently given passes to attend rehearsals of the nearby Metropolitan Opera during her time at the Margaret Hague. This was a fond memory for her. After returning to Milwaukee, she resumed voice instruction, and was active as a soloist and choral singer in the Milwaukee area. By the time Ila moved to Waupaca, her singing days were past, but she still drew on her vocal training for reading in church. Amidst increasing health problems, her goal was always to get well enough to be able to read in church again.

Ila’s strong Christian faith was always central to her life. She was currently a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Waupaca Wisconsin. Due to COVID, plans for a memorial service have not yet been made. Ila asked that her body be cremated. Her ashes will be buried in a family plot in Fort Atkinson. In place of flowers or similar items that are unavoidably suggested by this website, please honor Ila by trying to engage in one extra act of personal kindness, helpfulness, or simply sharing good cheer, as you go about your life in the coming weeks.

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