BERTHA M. MASLANKA, age 96, of Loves Park, IL, formerly of the Town of Butler, rural Thorp, WI, passed away on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 in Rockford, IL.  Visitation will be held at Thorp Funeral Home on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 from 10am to 11am, with burial to follow in the Town of Butler Cemetery, rural Thorp.

     Bertha May Audorff was born on June 10, 1930 at the family home in the Town of Butler, rural Thorp, to August O. and Rosie S. (Studnichka) Audorff.  She received her elementary education at Butler area schools, and attended Neillsville High SchooI.  Bertha was united in marriage to Emil Maslanka on January 10, 1948 in Neillsville.  They farmed for several years before moving to Rockford, IL where she was a housewife, waitress/hostess, and worked in a machine shop until retiring in 1991.  After retiring, Bertha lived in Loves Park, IL until her death.

     She was a member of the Independent Order of Foresters and enjoyed doing word puzzles.

     Bertha is survived by her son, Emil (Alice) Maslanka of Coal Valley, IL; two daughters: Cynthia Merica (George Carter) of Chesapeake, VA, and Donna Riske of Crawfordsville, IN; two grandsons: Derek (Angie) Fewin and Daren Fewin; two great grandsons: Quinn Fewin and Dylan (Angelina) Fewin; one great-great grandson, Atreus Fewin; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

     She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Emil, in 1964; one daughter, Beatrice Fewin; one sister, Midge Lewandowski; and one half-sister, Geneva Smith.