Aileen Kleckner Wiltgen

Aileen Kleckner Wiltgen of Port Washington, formerly of Shawano, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, peacefully passed away in the evening hours of Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, at Zilber Family Hospice in Wauwatosa. She was 91 years old.

Aileen was born in Grafton on Aug. 7, 1932, the daughter of George Jacoby Sr. and Marie (nee Johl) Jacoby.

At an early age, her family moved to a farm in Saukville. She attended school at Immaculate Conception in Saukville and Port Washington High School, where she graduated with the Class of 1950.

On Aug. 30, 1952, she married Arnold Kleckner at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Saukville.

The couple moved to the Town of Port Washington to run the Kleckner family farm and raise their family.

On Dec. 28, 1988, she married Larry Wiltgen.

The couple moved to Shawano in 1994. After Larry’s death in 2001, she relocated to Port Washington.

Aileen worked as a bookkeeper for various area businesses and at Lincoln Elementary School in the cafeteria.

Aileen was a member of St. John XXIII Catholic Parish in Port Washington, spending many years singing in the adult choir.  She was also an active member of the Port Washington Senior Center, where she was a founding member of the Chicks with Sticks knitting club and enjoyed playing sheepshead.

Aileen took great pride in knitting many sweaters, afghans, baptismal outfits and Christmas tree skirts, winning over 100 ribbons at county fairs, among them several Grand Champion awards. In recent years, her focus was knitting newborn caps and chemotherapy caps and donating them to various organizations.

Aileen also enjoyed cooking, baking, canning and traveling on bus trips throughout the United States.

Aileen is survived by her three children, David (the late Suzanne) Kleckner of Port Washington, Donald (Kathleen) Kleckner of Watertown and Caroline (Neal) Buser of Saukville. She is further survived by six grandchildren, Julie (Ben) Gerds, Kurt (Jen) Kleckner, Karen (Joe) Mallow, Melissa (Craig) Wesemann and Jack and Claire Buser, nine great-grandchildren, Tyler, Calvin, Sophie, Norah, Ethan, Ann, Harper, Presley and  Tatum, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by husbands Arnold Kleckner and Larry Wiltgen, her parents George and Marie Jacoby, daughter-in-law Suzanne Kleckner and five siblings, Marie (John) Oberst, Donald (Janet) Jacoby, George (Dorothy) Jacoby Jr., Virginia (Roman) Loof and James (Kathleen) Jacoby.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, at 1 p.m. at St. John XXIII Parish, St. Peter of Alcantara Church, 1800 N. Wisconsin St., Port Washington. Father Patrick Wendt will preside over the Mass.

Visitation will take place at the church on Friday, Feb. 9, from 11 a.m. until the Mass.

She will be laid to rest in St. Mary’s Parish Cemetery, Port Washington.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to St. John XXIII Parish or a charity of the donor’s choosing.

Eernisse Funeral Home, Port Washington, is honored to serve Aileen’s family.

Online condolences may be left at www.eernissefuneralhome.com.