Bonnie Marousek

Bonnie Lee (Bauman) Marousek, age 89, passed away on December 22, 2025 at Evergreen Retirement Community in Oshkosh. A celebration of her life will take place in the chapel of Evergreen Manor on Friday morning, January 9, 2026 with visitation from 10-11 a.m. and a short service following.

The eldest of four children, Bonnie was born on October 4, 1936 to Wanda Josephine (Payne) and Albert Bernard Bauman on their family farm in Markesan, Wisconsin. She graduated from Markesan High School and then from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a bachelor's degree in dietetics. She had often said that if Stout had offered a degree in Interior Design, that would have been her first choice. It was while washing peas at the Fall River Canning Company one summer that she and Howard Marousek met and began dating, eventually marrying on August 27, 1960. Their marriage produced three daughters - Lori (Jim) Jacobson, Alisa (Michael) Zessin, and Colette (Paul) Leslie.

While raising her daughters, Bonnie was asked by the Fox Valley Technical Institute to teach Foods and Nutrition classes, along with Child Development courses. She continued doing so until retiring.

In 1980 she and Howard purchased their home at 1304 Algoma Boulevard in Oshkosh, becoming the fourth owners of the William Waters design. Possessing a definite gift for the Victorian style, she and Howard worked seemingly non-stop for decades, restoring the home back to its original era.

Naturally, her love of restoration and preservation led her to develop friendships with like-minded historians. In 1986 Jeanne Crane, Betty MacNichol and Bonnie devoted themselves to The Grand Opera House, investing thousands of hours researching, petitioning, planning, purchasing and executing its historical revival. In 1996, Bonnie spearheaded the saving and restoration of Read Elementary School in Oshkosh, making it a valuable learning institution for years to come.

Bonnie is survived by her three daughters and their husbands, her five grandchildren, Jonathan (Sarah) Jacobson, Jordan Jacobson, Austin (Angel Kadrlik) Treml, Crystal (Tyler) Finnell, and Jessica (Samuel Smits) Treml. She is further survived by her brother Barry (Ann) Bauman, sisters-in-law Karen Marousek Hardy and Sherry Bauman, along with many treasured nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Howard, her son-in-law Kurt Treml, her brothers Bernard Kent Bauman and Kalton Bauman, her sister-in-law Eileen Bauman, her brother-in-law Kenneth Marousek, her nephew Sten Marousek, as well as Howard's parents and her own parents.