Dolores Jean (Van Ess) Wentzel Obituary
Age 97 of Wauwatosa. Passed away on March 20, 2022. Born on Nov. 8, 1924, in Sheboygan County to Peter and Gladys Van Ess. Wife of the late Marvin Wentzel. Also preceded in death by her parents and sister, Margaret. Loving mother of William Wentzel, Craig Wentzel, and Barry (Lynette) Wentzel. Grandmother of Michelle, Brian, Elyse, Matthew, and Michael.
Dolores was raised on the family farm and attended Welcome Elementary School and Waldo High School, graduating in 1942. As the country entered World War II, she moved to Sheboygan and then to Milwaukee where she worked in defense plants, eventually becoming a government inspector at a plant that produced aircraft parts. That plant on Capitol Drive would later become part of Harley Davidson. After the war's end, Dolores married Marvin Wentzel. They would have three sons and Dolores was proud to be a stay at home mom. As her sons left for college, she took a secretarial job with a company that produced school photos and worked there until her retirement at the age of 80. She continued to enjoy her home and independence until the age of 96 with the assistance of her sons, for which she was very grateful.
Among her interests, Dolores enjoyed to read, knit, bowling, and assisted at her church. She was truly a world traveler having visited much of the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, and Great Britain. In later life, she would make her residence at Harwood Place in Wauwatosa.
Interment will take place in Pinelawn Memorial Park.
