Jill Smet

Jill Koepke Smet, age 69, passed away peacefully on 12-31-2025 at Aurora Bay Care, with her family by her side, after a courageous 15-year battle with Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC).

Jill was born on November 22, 1956, to Charles JR. and Esther (Doughty) Koepke. She lived her entire life in Eldorado, Wisconsin, and was a 1975 graduate of Laconia High School. Jill had two daughters, Carla and Gwyn, whom she shared with her former husband, Tom Birschbach. One of Jill's greatest joys was purchasing the home her father built and raising her daughters in that very same home she grew up in.

In her younger years, Jill was always ready for fun and liked to head out for a night on the town with friends to hear a local band or play darts. She enjoyed many summer days with her sister, Marlene, and their families at the Green Lake beach, and always looked forward to their annual sister shopping trips to Milwaukee.

Jill spent many Friday nights and weekends working at her sister and brother-in-law's tavern in Eldorado, where she became well known for cooking the famous Friday night fish fry-so good that years later people still talked about it, often comparing others and saying that it was "no Terry's fish fry."

It was also there that Jill met the love of her life, Richard Smet. They married in 2001 and spent the next 24 years building a life full of memories. Together they enjoyed many Friday night fish fries, summers at their favorite campgrounds, and quiet days relaxing by their backyard pool. A creative soul, Jill always had a project underway, whether it was sewing, painting, or cooking.

Later in her life, Jill turned that love of cooking into a career as a Food Service Leader at Oshkosh Correctional, where she retired in August 2025.

Jill is survived by her loving husband, Richard Smet; her daughters, Carla (Joshua) Marquardt and Gwyn (Kevin) Ditter; Her sister Marlene Wittchow, and her cherished grandchildren, Mitchel (Ally) Ditter, Coral Neubauer, Mackenzie (Michael) Karls, Noah Ditter, Ragen Ditter, and Leven Marquardt. Stepsons Justin and Cody Smet, Brothers-in-law Darryl (Lisa) Smet, John (Corinne) Smet, and Del (Kathy) Smet, along with many beloved nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Esther Keopke; her grandparents; her sisters and brothers-in-law, Betty and Donnie Nitschke, Yvonne and Gordon Wolfe, and Terry Wittchow.

Jill will be remembered for her creativity, her love of family, and the warmth she brought to everyone around her.