Gina Marie Papenfuss

Gina Marie Papenfuss, 58, passed away on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, after a brief but valiant battle with cervical cancer.  Gina NEVER gave up on beating her cancer diagnosis; if it weren’t for her body being uncooperative, her tenacity, positive attitude and stubbornness would have carried her through for many years to come.

Gina was born on October 8, 1965, to David and Nancy (Infelise) Growe at St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Gina attended school in St. Paul until her junior year of high school.  While in school, she participated in dance, baton, tumbling and even played the violin from 6th to 8th grade.  Beginning in 1974, her summer breaks from school were spent on North Sand Lake in Webster, Wisconsin, where her family purchased a cabin that they own to this day.  During her summer breaks there, she would acquire many new friends and her first horse, Dusty.  It was on North Sand Lake where she learned to water ski and where she learned to fish; it was during the Bowman Family and Friends fishing contest that she was typically the last person on the lake in pursuit of catching the winning fish.

It was during her childhood and young adulthood that she met many of the people who would help mold and shape her into the person that she became as an adult; the stories and memories that were shared involving the friends she made during those years in St. Paul were held very close to her heart always.  Right before the start of her senior year of high school, Gina moved with her family to Onalaska, Wisconsin.  It was here that she met many more lifelong friends and ultimately, her husband.

Gina was many things to many people.  She was a daughter, a niece, a cousin, and a friend; the role she took the most seriously was being a wife to her husband Larry.  If you were to ask Gina if it was love at first sight, she would tell you absolutely not and that she didn’t like Larry when she first met him.  Until he kissed her- then it was all over.  Larry and Gina got engaged on March 28, 1986, after three weeks of dating.  On March 28, 1987, Gina Marie and Larry Dean got married at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Onalaska, Wisconsin.  To this day, people talk about how it was the best wedding ever.

Gina and Larry lived in several places after they got married until 1996 when they landed on the ridge just outside of Nodine.  It was here that they made their home.  It was here that Gina brought home one of her favorite things in the entire world, her horse, Reggie.  Gina LOVED animals.  Over the years, she was blessed with many awesome four-legged kids- Windsor, Little Girl, Missy, Reggie, Laddy, and most recently, her cat Buddy, to name a few. In recent years, Gina developed another love- side by side riding; Her and Larry would jump in the side by side and cruise around any chance they got.

Gina is survived by her husband Larry, her parents Dave and Nancy Growe, her aunt Mary Claire Bibro, her Uncle Gene Infelise, and her cousins Adrienne (Marty) McClellan, Kristen (Brian) Adams and their children Hailey, Bella and Tony and Laurie (David) Charles and their dog Diesel, who Gina affectionately called Steve.  She is further survived by her father-in-law Lawrence Papenfuss, her sister-in-law Kim (Denver) Anderegg and nephews Nick and Alex Solum, and her brother-in-law Todd (Donnalee) Papenfuss and her nephew Matt (Kristin) Papenfuss and her niece, Samantha (Matt) Krage.  She is also survived by roughly a billion friends, of which there are WAY too many to name.   She is preceded in death by her grandparents, her Uncle Greg Bibro, her mother-in-law Winnie Papenfuss and many pets of whom welcomed her excitedly when she came through the pearly gates.

Per Gina’s wishes, there will be a celebration of life to be held at a later date.  Gina’s family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the amazing staff at Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse for the wonderful care that Gina received.

“For you, there’ll be no more crying.  For you, the sun will be shining.  And I feel that when I’m with you, It’s alright, I know it’s right.”- Fleetwood Mac