Ramona (nee Hemerley) Waterworth, 95, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, at Home Again Assisted Living in Columbus, Wis.
Ramona was born Oct. 17, 1925, to Gustav and Emilie (Preuss) Hemerley on a farm on South Ridge outside of Kendall. After high school, she moved to Madison and worked at the Chocolate Shop and at UW-Madison Liz Waters, where she was a meal preparer. It was at that time she met Russell Waterworth at a dance at Turner Hall. On June 18, 1949, she married Russell in Kendall, and then shared a wonderful/adventuresome life on their family farm near Fall River, Wis., for over 30 years.
Ramona was a proud housewife who later enjoyed wintering in Florida and traveling overseas, where they met many lifelong friends. Ramona was a member of the AFS, Master Farmers, Homemakers, Columbus Hospital Auxiliary, and Olivet Social Circle and a 4-H Leader. She was an avid bridge player and enjoyed her weekly bridge games at the Columbus Country Club in the summer and playing bridge with friends. She loved to read and kept the Columbus Public Library busy delivering books for the last few years, and never missed a day of reading the Wisconsin State Journal. She will be most remembered for her knitted washcloths and wonderful meals she prepared and the many people she entertained, including two AFS students, Jose Alceste Belmonte and Luis Antonio Silva Boccato.
Survivors include their son, Dean (Annette) Waterworth; their daughter, Ann (David) Rake; four grandchildren, Summer (Bob) Lawrence, Nahtahna (Kevin) Jensen, Carla Rake and Paul Rake; four great-grandsons, Braylon and Madden Lawrence and Brewer and Winston Jensen; her sister, Judy Kessenich; her sister-in-law Lucile, Hemerley; together with many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Russell (2013); her parents, Gustav and Emilie (Preuss) Hemerley; her brothers, Everett and Vernon Hemerley; her sister and brother-in-law, Bud and Darleen Martalock; her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Willis and Sadie Waterworth and Robert and Doris Waterworth; and her nephews. Butch Martalock, and Jay and Tom Waterworth.
A service may be held later this year at Olivet Congregational United Church of Christ.
We would like to thank the Larson House for the many years they lived there and to thank Home Again and Heartland Hospice for Mom’s recent care. A special thank you to the Poser Clinic (Drs. Rolf and Sam) for their attentiveness and care throughout the years and to the Columbus Hospital.
If you wish, memorials may be directed to Olivet Congregational United Church of Christ, 313 W. Prairie St., Columbus, WI 53925 or Heartland Hospice, 2801 Crossroads Drive, Suite 2000, Madison, WI 53718
We encourage you to share your online condolences at jensenfuneralandcremation.com.
