Sherrie Abt

Sherrie Lynn Abt, 59, Wausau, died Saturday, February 17, 2018 at her home surrounded by her loving family following a four year battle with liver cancer.

Sherrie was born March 20, 1958 in Merrill to Herbert and Irene (Dahl) Riehle.  She grew up on the family farm in Athens with her eight siblings.  Sherrie attended Catholic School in Athens until the 8th grade and went on to graduate from Athens High School in 1976.  Over the years, she farmed, worked for Marathon Cheese and spent the past 20 years with Kolbe & Kolbe working as a window sill manufacturer until this past November when her illness prevented her from working any more.  Sherrie married Bruce Abt on September 3, 1993 in their home.

Sherrie was a very caring and selfless mother who never had a bad word to say about anyone.  She never missed the opportunity to tell the ones she cared for that she loved them and compulsively hugged everyone.  While living in Marathon, her outstanding gardening skills and green thumb led her to raise many successful gardens.  In her free time, Sherrie enjoyed singing karaoke; especially the Carpenters, Stevie Nicks and Areosmith, which was an extension of her musical talents that she had since she was a child.

Sherrie’s strength and determination through hardship will never be forgotten.  In 1993 she lost an eye to ocular melanoma; she worked through the change by relearning how to drive and continuing on with her life.  Cancer returned four years ago when she was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer and her tough resolve granted her four more years together with her friends and family while receiving treatment from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN and Aspirus Oncology Department.

Sherrie is survived by her husband of 24 years, Bruce; children, Mandy and Travis (fiancée, Mao); grandchildren, Harley, Mariyah, Sierra and Mary; parents, Herbert and Irene Riehle; siblings, Shirley (Leon) Lewandowski, Steven (Jean) Riehle, Scott Riehle, Susan (John) Kamenick, Sally Ziech, Stanley (Marcia) Riehle, Stephen (Sara) Riehle and Stacie Ziegel; mother-in-law, June Abt; brothers and sisters-in-law, Allan “Jay”, Tammy (Chris), Barry, Lisa (Brian), Nancy (Brian), Pat (Marina), Steve (Cheryl), Mary (Ken), Susan (Frank), Faith (Steven) and David (Debra); cats, Buster and Maizy Baby; and extended family and friends.  She is preceded in death by her father-in-law, Edward Abt.

The funeral service for Sherrie will be at 2:00 PM on Friday, February 23, 2018 at Helke Funeral Home, Wausau.  Fr. Nate Kuhn will be officiating.  Visitation will be from 11:00 AM until the time of service on Friday at the funeral home.  Burial will be at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Kronenwetter.  Helke Funeral Home is assisting the family with the arrangements; you may sign our family guestbook at helke.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family.

A heartfelt word of thanks goes to the doctors, nurses and staff of the Mayo Clinic and the Aspirus Wausau Hospital Oncology Department and the nurses and staff of Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services for their kindhearted care for Sherrie through her final battle with cancer.