Doris Schilling
Doris Marie Schilling, nee Will, age 89, of Abbotsford, died suddenly of a heart attack on July 30, 2020, at the Marshfield Medical Center. She was the youngest of five children born to Frank and Margaret (Schaffer) Will on the home farm west of Colby, on November 13, 1930, and raised on the family farm. She graduated from Colby High School in 1948 and married Ervin Schilling on September 24, 1949. Together they had seven children: Rae, Kathleen, Jan, Jill, Kevin, Krisan and Kent.
In 1951, Doris and Ervin bought the Breezy Hill Cheese Factory in Thorp and operated it until it was destroyed by a tornado in 1958. Doris was an executive secretary at Thorp Finance Company. In 1959, Ervin and Doris started a new cheese factory and store, Schilling’s Cheese House, in Abbotsford. They operated Schilling’s Cheese House until 1967. She kept the books for the business while also working as a legal secretary for Nikolay Law Office.
On the side, she started a farm vacation business in the 1960s, with the whole family hosting city guests from as far away as Chicago, Boston and Denver on the hobby farm (now the Schilling Addition/Schilling Meadows) where they also raised Arabian horses and beef cattle.
Near age 50, she started a second career, becoming a real estate broker and opening her own business, Schilling Real Estate, which she continued to enjoy for at least two decades.
In retirement, dancing became a primary pastime. She enjoyed dancing of all kinds, but found an important social connection in the Central Wisconsin Country Dancers (CWCD) community. Her dance partner, Gary Bernitt, was a close friend and loyal companion.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her ex-husband; and the following siblings and their spouses: Ralph and Arlene Will, Neland and Velma Will and Joann Will, Donald and Jeannette Will; as well as her son-in-law, Michael Burns.
Doris is survived by seven children, daughters: Rae (Anton Smets) Schilling, Eau Claire, Kathleen Schilling, Elk Mound, Jan Schilling, Coon Valley, Jill Schilling (Burns), Chippewa Falls and Krisan Schilling, Madison; sons: Kevin (Patricia Stovey) Schilling, Holmen and Kent Schilling, Abbotsford; grandchildren and their spouses: Shawn Smets, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Marja Smets (Daniel Varsano), Petersburg, Alaska, Tara (Brian) Busse, Greenwood and Ethan (Cosvy) Schilling, Colbin Schilling and Beth Schilling, Abbotsford; sister, Zona (Will) Edblom, Colby and former in-laws: Herbert and Jean Schilling, Lavilla (Clarence) Schilling; and many nieces and nephews.
A brief graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 7, at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Colby. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, masks and social distancing would be appreciated. Masks will be available. Bring your own chair. Family and friends can watch the service live through Facebook by typing in Maurina Schilling Funeral Homes and clicking on the “Watch” icon on the home page. Go to https://www.maurinaschilling.com/obituaries to leave condolences and/or view a slideshow commemorating her life.
Paid obituary 92750
