Patricia Ann Harnisch-Smith

Patricia Ann Harnisch-Smith, 78, of Melrose, WI, passed away peacefully at her home on Sunday, October 18, 2015 surrounded by her family. She was born on July 28, 1937 in La Crosse to Armond and Sophia (Striegel) Gross. Pat led a full and active life in her community. She was a 1954 graduate of Aquinas High School. Her success at Tri-Chem elevated her to Tri-State Regional Manager. Pat was a coach for French Island Little League Softball for many years, and loved to bowl over her entire life and was bowling up to five days a week. She also loved square dancing with her first husband Henry, and later led to her meeting her second husband Jerry. Pat had volunteered throughout her life in many areas including Meals on Wheels, Hospice, St. Francis Hospital Gift Shop, but her true passion was volunteering at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse.
Pat is survived by her children, Sandy (Frank) Reyes, Barbara (Jim) Whatton, Joe (Lou) Harnisch, Amy (Todd) Hoffheins, John (Tracey) Harnisch, Lisa (Stacey) Roos, daughter-in-law Elise Harnisch, a special friend and “8th child” Michael (Shawn) Mercier, her brother and sisters, Robert Gross, Margaret Loftus, Catherine Mastaw and Veronica Brauer, 12 grandchildren, and 15 great- grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Henry Harnisch and Jerry Smith, a son Jeffrey Harnisch, her parents, a brother Patrick Gross a sister Elizabeth Carpenter and two grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, October 23rd, 2015 at 10:30 AM at St. James the Less Catholic Church. Msgr. Charles Stoetzel will officiate. Burial will be in the French Island Cemetery. Friends may call at the Schumacher-Kish Funeral & Cremation Services of La Crosse on Thursday from 4:00 – 7:00 PM and at the church on Friday from 9:30 AM until the time of services. A Prayer Service will be held Thursday evening at 6:45 PM. In lieu of flowers memorials may be given to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, or to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, Wisconsin Chapter, 2041 North 107th Street, Wauwatosa, WI 53226, Ph. 877-330-2699, www.hdsa.org/wi.
The family would like to thank Henry Althof and family for their care and support during Pat’s battle with cancer.