EDITH OLTHAFER

Edith M. Olthafer, 97 of Platteville passed away on Sunday, July 26, 2026. Born at Cunningham Hospital, Platteville on Feb 5, 1929 to Carl & Elva (Kinch) Gobrecht, she grew up in Lafayette & Grant counties attending Cottage Inn, St Peters and Sunny Dale country schools. She attended Rewey High School until her senior year; graduating from Belmont High School in 1946. She attended & graduated from UWP, receiving a teaching degree in 1948. She married her loving, supportive and devoted husband, George C. Olthafer on January 28, 1948. Together they farmed and raised God’s gift of six children.

Edith was actively involved in the Elk Grove Boosters 4-H club teaching sewing, gardening and cooking in addition to serving as the club leader for many years. She tirelessly organized a skit and a float each year for the Belmont Fair and Platteville Dairy Day parades. She also enjoyed Lafayette County Homemakers and various other ladies’ organizations. During the 1980’s, she worked part time at the UWP Cashier’s office. The highlight for her was seeing and working with the students each day.

Edith was a dedicated member of Peace Lutheran Church, Platteville as a Sunday school teacher, active in the women’s circle groups, quilting bees and serving as church organist for 60 years. Additionally, she enjoyed providing the music for services at Belmont Peace Lutheran, Platteville Lima Union and Rewey Methodist churches. She shared her musical talent by giving piano lessons to her children, grandchildren and many others. Quilting was a favorite pastime, creating quilts for each member of her family in addition to making seasonal wall hangings and table runners in assorted sizes and colors. Family heritage was another important passion. She researched and established genealogy trees and records including pictures and newspaper clippings all carefully cataloged for future generations in photo albums and binders.   

Edith is survived by six children George Wm (Sue Ellen) Olthafer, Martha/Marti (Tom) Kastner, Thomas (Sheri) Olthafer, Linda McDermott, Joseph (Sandra) Olthafer, and Laura (Duane) Burns, two sisters in-law; Helen (Victor) Gobrecht and Betty (Carl Wm) Gobrecht, as well as nieces, nephews, and many cousins. She was a proud grandmother to thirteen grandchildren - Micheal, Andrea (John), Maria, Jennifer (Greg), Rebecca (Tim), Colleen, Nicole (Donnie), Kristin, Benjamin, Alaine (Charles), Lindsay (Andy), George L and Augustus. Twenty-nine great-grandchildren – Lucas, Kylie, Jacob, Morgan, Maddison, Derek, Deven, Thomas, Jesse, James, Heidi, Adelaide, Bianca, Henrik, Elora, Hannah, Olen, Brady, Waylon, Dakota, Hans, William, Orin, Grace, Evelyn, Aayla, Orpha, Frederick, and Veda Rae and 1 great-great-grandchild Kingsley.

She was proceeded in death by her husband George C. Olthafer in 2000, her parents Carl & Elva Gobrecht, a step-mother Katherine Gobrecht, brothers Richard (Eva) Gobrecht, Victor Gobrecht & Carl Wm Gobrecht, a sister Carol (Hutton) Griffith, sister in-law Kathryn (Willis) Gruenwald, brothers in-law Clifford (Eleanor) Olthafer, Richard (Donna) Olthafer, Jim Hutton and Dale Griffith, son in-law Paul McDermott, and great-granddaughter, Bianca (Olthafer) Johnson.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, August 6, 2026 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Melby Funeral Home and Crematory, Platteville. The funeral service will be conducted at Peace Lutheran Church, Platteville on Friday, August 7, 2026 with visitation beginning at 10 a.m. and funeral following at 11 a.m. Interment will be conducted immediately following funeral, located at Hillside Cemetery, Platteville. Online condolences can be made at www.melbyfh.com.

The family would like to sincerely thank the staff at Edenbrook and St Croix Hospice for their kindness, care and compassion.