Jeanette M. (Mikkelson) Steinke

Of Plainfield, age 83, passed away at home on Wednesday, June 2, 2021 from complications of lung and brain cancer.  She was born in Antigo on March 24, 1938 to the late Arnold and Mary (Behm) Mikkelson. Jeanette enjoyed bowling, puzzles, casino trips, cribbage tournaments, apple & berry picking at the farm, baking (especially peanut butter fudge cake & lemon pie bars).

Jeanette's career in social work began at Waushara County and then Adams County Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home, where she established the social services department, writing policies and implementing service plans. She went back to school to get her Master's Degree from UW-Madison then found herself in a newly created position with the Wisconsin Winnebago Business Committee, where she developed many mental health and alcohol abuse programs for the tribe. Jeanette then established an agency, First American Human Services, that consisted of a Child Placing Agency, two group homes,  an Outpatient Clinic, and a residential treatment facility. She was instrumental in the design, development, operation and financial management of all programs.  She joined Lutheran Social Services in 1987 where she provided many years of much needed family counseling until her retirement in 1998.  Even after retirement she wanted to help people so she found herself working part-time at Aurora Health- Dialysis and as a LTE at King Veterans Home for a few more years.

Jeanette married Ted Steinke in 1973. Jeanette and Ted, as one, learned to love and be loved, trust and be trusted, sacrifice separately and mutually. These lessons were tested for 47 years of mutual blessings.

She will be sadly missed by her husband Ted, Carl Peterson father of her  6 Children: Carla Lipke; Connie (David Ainsworth) Brown; Michele (Bill) Marks; Pat (Cindy) Peterson; David (Pam) Peterson;  "fourth daughter"  Sherry(Scott) Hughes; grandchildren: Tim, Amanda, Justina, Alivia, Marshall, Morgan, Luke, Mike, Jason, Cynthia, Ken; and many great grandchildren and great great grandchildren; sisters: Delores Hauser, Lois (Willard) Rowe, Ellen (Butch) Schielke, Brothers: Jimmy Mikkelson, Dickie (Shirley) Mikkelson, Ronnie Mikkelson; other relatives and friends. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Annette Peterson, and a grandson, David Peterson.

Jeanette will be remembered and missed by all who knew her. According to her wishes no funeral services will be held. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery in Wild Rose.

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