Elizabeth Francis Price (nee Williams), of Waunakee and formerly of East Troy/Elkhorn, was called to her eternal home on July 15, 2018, following a long and valiant battle with Parkinson’s disease.
She died at home surrounded by her loving family, as were her wishes.
She was born in East Troy on Feb. 9, 1928, to Frank and Bessie Williams; she was the middle child with one brother and three sisters.
She graduated from East Troy High School in 1946 and went on to Mount Mary College, Milwaukee, graduating with majors in mathematics and Spanish, minoring in music. Following her graduation in 1950, she taught math at St. Mary’s High School in Burlington.
She married her true love, Bernard Price, on Dec. 26, 1951 at St. Peter the Apostle Church in East Troy.
When they started a family, she devoted herself to being a fulltime mother and homemaker.
While her children were young, she owned and operated a daycare center with her sister in East Troy. She also had a rural newspaper route for some time, which besides being a little income was quite a fun daily routine for the younger Price children.
In the early 1970s she went back to her math teaching roots for another 20 years in the Burlington Area School District. Upon her retirement from teaching she was elected to the Walworth County Board of Supervisors, representing the Village of East Troy from 1990 through 2002. She was especially proud of her membership on the Children with Disabilities Education Board Committee while on the County Board.
She was fully devoted to her faith and family. She lived for family events, of which there were many, with such a large family.
She enjoyed solving puzzles of all kinds as well as solving maddening math problems that would make ordinary people’s heads spin.
She loved music of all kinds and was a virtuoso at playing the piano and violin. She also played several woodwind instruments and was self-taught at playing the guitar and harmonica. She was one of two remaining charter members of the East Troy “Moms Club” that has been continuously active since the early 1950s.
Another of her interests was singing with the Sweet Adelines from Burlington. For decades she could be found at Memorial Park swimming and playing alongside her children and grandchildren.
For 18 years, she and her husband “Bernie” spent the winters in Leesburg, Florida.
She is survived by her children; Larry (Vicki) of Elkhorn, Frank of East Troy, Maribeth of Elkhorn, John (Donna) of Waukesha, Marty of Elkhorn, Bill (Denise) of East Troy, Fred (Kim) of Troy Center, and Annette (Dan) of Waunakee.
She is also survived by 25 grandchildren, with one more on the way; 12 great-grandchildren with one more on the way; brother-in-law, Al Pitterle; and scores of nieces, nephews and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Bernard; parents; brother, John Williams; and sisters, Dorothy Pitterle, Mary Jean Mode and Josephine Shepard.
A funeral Mass will be at noon on Monday, July 23, at St. Peter the Apostle Church, 1975 Beulah Ave., East Troy. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until the time of service at the church.
Internment will be at St. Peter’s Cemetery with lunch following in the St. Peter’s School cafeteria.
The family extends a very special thank you to Kelly and Rhonda from Visiting Angels and to Agrace Hospice.
