Full Obituary

CHRISTINE A. FORTUNA, age 98, of Willard, died at the Neillsville Retirement Community on Monday, September 23, 2013. A gathering of family and friends will take place from 9am until 11:30am at Cuddie Funeral Home, in Greenwood, on Saturday, September 28, 2013. Following the burial of cremains in the Willard Cemetery, a luncheon will be served at the Greenwood American Legion Hall.
Christine Ann Cerne was born on August 3, 1915 in Mulberry, Kansas, the daughter of Michael Sr. and Louise (Dornik) Cerne. When she was a small child, her family moved to Willard, WI, where she was raised and received her education at North Mound School. As a young lady, Christine moved to Chicago, where she worked in a hospital for a couple years. She was united in marriage to Louis Fortuna, Sr. on June 9, 1945 at Holy Family Catholic Church, in Willard. They, along with her brother Joe, purchased the Lakeside Tavern in Rock Dam, and ran it for a couple years. After selling the tavern, they bought the Fortuna family farm in Willard, and farmed until 1965 or 1966. Christine resided in her Willard home until moving to the Neillsville Retirement Community in 2011.
She was a member of the Slovenska Druzba Club, and had many interests, but especially loved gardening, traveling and reading.
She will be dearly missed by her four children: Eugene (Doris) Fortuna of Weatherby Lake, MO, Donna (Doug) Smith of Chappel Hill, TX, Charlotte (Roy) Gregorich of Willard, Louie (Jill) Fortuna of Greenwood; seven grandchildren; thirteen great grandchildren; one great-great grandson; four step grandchildren; 11 step-great grandchildren; several nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Christine was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Louis, in 1973; three brothers: Mike, Joe and Frank Cerne; and two sisters: Stepha Cohara and Tillie Podrovitz.