Theresa "Teddy" Grace Pritchard

Theresa "Teddy" Grace Pritchard age 76 of Randolph, went home to her Savior on Sunday, May 25, 2008, at the Continental Manor Health and Rehabilitation Center of Randolph where she has resided since her stroke in December.

Theresa was born Nov. 12, 1931, at her parents' home in Randolph, the daughter of Peter and Jeanette (Fennema) Vander Meulen. She was Baptized and Confirmed at the First Reformed Church of Randolph. Theresa was a 1949 graduate of Randolph High School.
Theresa had many fond memories about growing up with her sisters during The Great Depression on Pigtail Alley in Randolph.

Theresa and Kenneth Warren Pritchard of Randolph were married on Oct. 20, 1950, at the First Reformed Church of Randolph. They were married 51 years before his death on July 1, 2002. After her marriage, Theresa and her husband operated and expanded a dairy, beef and crop operation on a Wisconsin Century Farm west of Randolph. Both were active with the Wisconsin State Horse Racing Association and its bush track racing circuit.

Theresa was well known throughout South Central Wisconsin as "The Hat Lady." She had a large collection of hand-made hats, from old-time millinery shops, which she would demonstrate for groups and organizations.

She enjoyed gardening and home canning, and would bake hundreds of dozens of cookies each year to give as gifts during Christmas. Sending cards and notes to family and friends was part of her daily routine. She was also a died-in-the-wool sports fan, intently following the Bucks, Badgers, Brewers and Packers.

Theresa was active in the Association for Home and Community Education. She was a charter member of the Jess Homemakers, which recently marked 50 years. She served as president of the Columbia County HCE and represented the Southwest District for the association. She also held the post of State HCE International Chairman, representing the association during an international conference at The Hague in the Netherlands. Through the association, she attended College Days each summer at the University of Wisconsin.

Theresa was a member of the Bethany Presbyterian Church of Randolph, where she was a member of Session. She was also active in service at the Presbyterian Church of Cambria, where she had served as a Trustee, a member of Session and received the congregation's Service Candle. She continued to participate in the Presbyterian Women's Bible Study in Cambria and Bible Study at the First Reformed Church of Randolph.

Theresa was also active in The John Knox Presbytery and served as a Sunday School teacher for many years. She was a former Girl Scouts leader and a former member of the Cambria-Friesland School Board.

Theresa and her husband traveled extensively when they discontinued the dairy, spending several weeks each in Asia, Australia, Central America and Europe. They vacationed each winter in Mexico and Key West, Fla. During the past year, she took extended family vacations with different groups of her children and grandchildren to Broadway, Civil War battlefields, and the International Balloon Festival at Albuquerque, N.M.

Theresa is survived by a daughter, Patricia (Michael) Jung of Cambria; three sons, Thomas (Vilma) Pritchard of Randolph, Ken Pritchard Jr. of Madison, and Tim (Amy Weber) Pritchard of Columbus, Ohio; seven grandchildren, Sirena and Aaron Pritchard of Randolph, Galadriel Jung of Milwaukee (friend Scott Host, Indianapolis, IN); Michelle (fiancee' Matt Hoelter) Jung of Madison, Ben (Kelli) Jung of Baldwin, Amber (Michael) Bjork of Ellsworth and Mackenzie Pritchard of Columbus, Ohio; three great-grandchildren, Joey Schalley-Jung and Michael Jung of Baldwin, and Bo Bjork of Ellsworth; five sisters, Evelyn (Garret) Wiersma of Randolph, Joanne (Henry) Vander Galien of Beaver Dam, Dorothy (Russ) Hall of Wayland, Mich., Annette (Doug) Henker of Brandon and Ruth (Roger) Steinhorst of Randolph; brothers-in-law William R. (Deanna) Pritchard of Davis, Calif., and Rudy (Joel) Sennhenn of Columbus; sister-in-law Jean Marron of Indianapolis, Ind.; and cousins, nieces, nephews and many other relatives and special friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, a son Dennis Pritchard in 1982, a sister Wilda Sennhenn; parents-in-law, W. Roy and Lillian Pritchard; a brother-in-law Clayton Randorf and sisters-in-law Kathryn Randorf and Carolyn Pritchard.

Theresa's family extends their gratitude to Hillside Home Care Hospice of Beaver Dam and the Continental Manor Health and Rehabilitation Center in Randolph.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Randolph Christian School for which Theresa's family has had long ties.