Nancy Jean Nettesheim (née Schreiber), born April 20, 1950, in Cambria, Wisconsin, passed away surrounded by love after a long and courageous journey with cancer.
Nancy lived a life rooted in care—for her family, her students, her community, and the world around her. She had a quiet strength and a deep sense of purpose, showing up year after year for the people and places that mattered most to her.
Nancy met Richard Nettesheim at UW–Stevens Point, where they met and fell in love after meeting at a Department of Natural Resources class in the summer of 1971. They were married in Randolph, Wisconsin, on October 5, 1974 and built a life together grounded in shared values, family, and community.
She began her career as an English teacher in 1972, first teaching at Wisconsin Dells for four years. In 1976, she found her professional home at Orfordville Parkview Middle/High School, where she remained until her retirement in 2010. Over the decades, she taught eighth and ninth grade English before moving into AP English, shaping generations of students with her steady presence, high standards, and enduring belief in their potential. She carried her students with her long after they left her classroom, always holding a special place in her heart for them.
Nancy built her life in Brodhead, Wisconsin, where she became an integral part of the community. She was a member of the United Methodist Church, known for her time in the church softball league—pink flamingos and all—as well as on the volleyball team. She served on the library board, participated in multiple book clubs, and gave her time generously as a forensics coach. For decades, she could also be found helping at track meets and keeping book at middle school basketball games—always present, always contributing.
She loved to golf, whether in leagues or casually with friends, and especially enjoyed any chance to outplay her husband. She found deep joy in tending to her flowers—her roses, lilies, wildflowers, and peonies—and took quiet pride in making the world around her more beautiful.
Nancy had a deep reverence for history and family. She dedicated herself to tracing genealogy and preserving the stories of those who came before, ensuring that her family’s history would not be lost. She cherished her extended family and looked forward to reunions, where those connections came to life.
She also found joy in life’s quieter pleasures: classical music, reading, feeding her birds, and time spent in nature. After retiring, she continued substitute teaching but also embraced travel, taking river cruises throughout Europe where she delighted in meeting new people, seeing the world, and got to celebrate their 50th anniversary on a trip from Paris to Normandy, France.
At home, Nancy created a sense of occasion and tradition that her family will carry forward. She was a gifted baker, known especially for her apple crisp—later affectionately renamed “apple Neal”—and her Door County cherry pies and cobblers. Holidays were never ordinary; she set the table with family china and silver, making each gathering feel intentional, meaningful, and rooted in tradition.
Nancy was preceded in death by her parents, Iral and Barbara Schreiber, Richard and Eleanora Nettesheim (in-laws), and sisters-in-law, Kathleen Nettesheim-Engle (Fred), and Jane Hoegle (Gene).
She is survived by her husband, Richard Nettesheim; her daughter Bryn and granddaughter Illa; her son Neal, his wife Shelby, and their daughter Odette; and her brother Rich, his wife Carol, and her nieces Katie and Caroline and nephew Blake.
Nancy and her family express deep gratitude for the many friends and loved ones who supported her throughout her illness, including Ann and Dennis Schwartz, the Florys, Chuck and Mary Kay Deary, and the SSM healthcare and hospice teams.
Services were already held for Nancy Nettesheim on February 25, 2026.
Nancy’s life was one of quiet impact—felt deeply by those who knew her, taught by her, worked alongside her, and loved her. She will be missed in ways both large and small, and remembered in the traditions she created, the beauty she cultivated, and the lives she shaped.
DL Newcomer assisted the family with funeral arrangements.
Dlnewcomerfuneralhome.com 608-897-2484