Margaret Mary Tunkieicz, age 84, of Kenosha, passed away on Monday, November 23, 2015 at Grande Prairie Health and Rehabilitation Center.

Born on April 20, 1931, in Hancock, MI, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Margaret (Reis) Robillard.  In 1933 as a small child, she moved with her family to Kenosha.

She attended St. George Grade School and was a graduate of St. Catherine’s High School in Racine.

On June 21, 1952, she was united in marriage to Edward Tunkieicz at St. George Catholic Church.  Sadly he preceded her in death on September 1, 1981.  In 1986, she found love again and married Larry Swanson.  He preceded her in death in 1989.

Prior to her marriage, Margaret was employed with the Kenosha News.

As a long time active member of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, she served the church in many ways throughout the years, coaching girls’ softball for four years, served on their Parish Council for ten years, organized bingo and served as a chairperson for three years.  Margaret also organized the Human Concerns Committee and served as chairperson for over 20 years, was a member of St. Peter’s conference of St. Vincent DePaul and helped organize St. Peter’s involvement with the soup kitchen when it first started in the early 1980’s.  She also got the parish involved with the Northside parishes Corpus Christi blood drive.  She was in charge of sending packages to soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq for seven years.  She was chairman of a booth at the parish festival for a number of years.

Margaret was an avid bowler and bowled on different leagues for over 40 years and golfed with the Maple Crest Tee-ettes.  She was a member of the Alpine pinochle for many years.  Margaret also loved to travel and she and her late husband, Ed, traveled Europe extensively and the American Southwest several times.  She was a frequent visitor to Las Vegas.

Margaret sponsored two children through the Christian Children’s Organization from Brazil for a total of 28 years.  First a boy, Sivaldo, for 13 years and then a girl, Nubia, for 15 years until they reached the age of 18.

Margaret is survived by her three daughters, Jeanne (Steven) Neu, Sharon (Terry) Glidden and Lori Eliasson; ten wonderful grandchildren, Keven (Meghan) Neu, Christine (John) Csepella, Vicki (Warren) Basquez, Michael and Rachel Glidden, Brandon, Corey, Jesse and Blair (Haylee) Eliasson and Janet (Cord) Gray; and ten special great-grandchildren, Cole, Lorelai and Paxton Neu, Hannah and Myah Basquez, Hayley, Carter and Addison Csepella, Seth Eliasson and Liam Gray.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a son, James; a daughter, Janet; a brother, Jerome Robillard and a great grandson, Braden Eliasson.

The family wishes to extend a special thank you to the entire staff of both Grande Prairie Health and Rehab Center and Brookdale-Pleasant Prairie for their care and compassion given to Margaret.

Service Info

Funeral services will be held on Friday, November 27, 2015 at 10:15 a.m. from the Piasecki-Althaus Funeral Home, 3720 39th Ave., Kenosha, WI. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. at St. Peter Catholic Church, 2224-30th Avenue. Entombment will follow in All Saints Mausoleum.