Barbara Ann Lauterbach, age 93, of Redgranite, died peacefully on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at ThedaCare Medical Center-Berlin.
She was born December 11, 1932, in Milwaukee, WI, the daughter of Floyd and Lucille Rice Bowman. Barbara was a 1951 graduate of Menomonee Falls High School. Barb played the trumpet and started college as a trumpet major at State Teacher’s College in Milwaukee. She continued playing an antique trumpet in the First Brigade Band for more than 20 years, retiring at age 72.
Barbara worked as a district sales manager with Parents’ Home Service, a division of Parents’ Magazine, and later as an office manager at Cable Components Inc. in Sussex, a company co-founded by her brother, Gene. She led a very full life. Barbara always liked the water, from watching her children at swimming lessons when they were young, to becoming a certified scuba diver and diving in the Caribbean. She enjoyed downhill skiing, traveling, pleasure boating, doing counted cross stitch and other needlework, and of course, playing in the First Brigade Band.
For more than 50 years, she maintained a presence at Lake Kristine in Saxeville, where she enjoyed spending time with her family. All on her own on weekends she cleared the lot where she had a beautiful log cabin, practicing what her coworkers at CCI referred to as “pyro therapy”, where she burned huge piles of cleared wood and vines.
She is survived by her daughter, Jean; son, Jay (Lori) Lauterbach; five grandchildren, Jesse Illian (fiancée, Laura Hendrickson), Michael (Jessica) Lauterbach, Bethany (Craig) Wilde, Jonathan (Beth) Lauterbach and Nathan (Melissa) Lauterbach; nine great-grandchildren, Addy, Dawson, Kaz, Quinn, Asher, Cade, Emra, Ayla and Jude; brother, John (Ellie) Bowman; sister, Bonnie (Dick) Borresen; sister-in-law, MaryAnn Bowman; and nieces and nephews. Barbara was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Gene Bowman; and great-grandson, Ellis Lauterbach.
The family wishes to thank the staff at Preston Place, Heartland Hospice, Sequoia Integrative Medical Services, Redgranite and Saxeville EMS, ThedaCare Hospitals and Ascension NE Wisconsin - St. Elizabeth Hospital.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements have been entrusted to Barbola Funeral Chapel in Berlin. Anyone wishing to send a sympathy card to the family, please mail to Barbara Lauterbach, c/o Barbola Funeral Chapel, PO Box 201, Berlin, WI 54923. Online condolences may be sent to the family at barbolafc@yahoo.com.
