Signa Lee Putzer

Of Mukwonago, WI, Signa Lee Putzer (nee Larson) passed away peacefully at Angels Grace Hospice in Oconomowoc, WI, on September 4, 2025, at the age of 91. She is reunited with her beloved husband Kenneth, son Richard, and daughter Sharon. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Alice and Oliver Larson; brother Oliver “Billy” Larson; brother-in-law Raymond Putzer; nephew David Ballew and grandnephew Morgan Ballew; mother-in-law Helen (Putzer) Koontz and father-in-law Jack Koontz; and Kenneth’s grandparents Anna (Putzer) Kole and Adrian Kole of Kenosha, as well as many other dear family members. She was a devoted and beloved mother, survived by daughters Karin Zoril and Lorraine (Bill) Carpenter, and son Wesley Putzer. She was a treasured grandmother of Michael (Courtney) Zoril, Amber (James) Schuenemann, Karie (Dustin) Becker, Nicole (fiancé Eric) Carpenter, and Brittany (Noah) Stroika. She was a loving great-grandmother to 11 great-grandchildren: Thomas, Andy, Daniel, Ted, Dean, John, Nash, Caroline, Beverly, Michaela, and Nixon. Signa is further survived by her brother Malcolm Larson of Milwaukee; sister-in-law Kathy Larson of Wisconsin Rapids, WI; brother- in-law Wayne (Irene) Koontz of North Las Vegas, NV; and sister-in-law Diane Ballew of Racine, WI. She is also survived by nieces Debbie (Mike) Yuenger, Julie (John) Gobler, Beth (Mark) Lemcke, nephew James (Rosie) Ballew, as well as many grandnieces, grandnephews, and friends. Signa was a registered nurse and served the communities of Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee, and Waukesha Counties for over 40 years. She was born in a farmhouse in Amherst Junction, Wisconsin, on September 13, 1933, the eldest of her siblings, Malcolm and Oliver “Billy” Larson. In the late 1930s, the Larson family moved from Amherst Junction to Milwaukee. Signa later graduated from Rufus King High School and went on to study nursing, where she graduated as a registered nurse with one of the top scores on the Wisconsin state nursing board for that year. She married Kenneth O. Putzer on August 24, 1956, in Milwaukee, and together they settled in Racine, WI, where they started their family. Signa was a world traveler, visiting Canada, England, and many Scandinavian countries. She especially loved family vacations in Central Wisconsin, and she and Kenneth also enjoyed traveling with friends throughout portions of the southern United States. She was a member of the Racine Jaycees and the Racine Women’s Club, where she contributed to many community projects. In 1970, the family moved to New Berlin, WI. She was a devoted guardian of her family, using her nursing and diagnostic skills to care for her husband Kenneth and her son Richard. She inspired many relatives to pursue careers in health care. Her favorite pastimes included hours of reading, playing piano, playing Bridge and Sheepshead, spending time with her grandchildren, and traveling. She also had a deep love of music and the arts. She frequently attended concerts, ballets, and musicals at the Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, Melody Top, Milwaukee's Washington Park, and the Fireside in Fort Atkinson. She delighted in the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Milwaukee Ballet, often treating her children and grandchildren to performances of The Nutcracker Suite and A Christmas Carol. A classically trained pianist at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music as a young woman, she filled her home with music, from Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor to Beethoven’s Für Elise, along with cherished Christmas hymns sung at the piano with family. She also pursued lessons in guitar, skating, and Norwegian rosemaling. Signa carried her beauty with humility, and her compassion with vigilance, always protective of her family’s well-being. She was kind, empathetic, intuitive, and humble. She will always be deeply loved and dearly missed. The family wishes to thank the staff of Linden Ridge Mukwonago, Angels Grace Hospice in Oconomowoc, and Pastor Steve of Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Mukwonago for their compassionate, care and support. Visitation will be held Wednesday, September 10, 2025 from 4:00 to 6:00 PM at Rozga Funeral and Cremation Services – Mukwonago Chapel (225 Eagle Lake Avenue, Mukwonago, WI 53149) followed by Funeral Service at 6:00 PM, Pastor Steve Bogie, officiating. Private burial will take place at Highland Memorial Park, New Berlin, WI. Serving the Family: Rozga Funeral & Cremation Services – Mukwonago Chapel 225 Eagle Lake Ave, Mukwonago, WI 53149 262-661-5213 www.rozgafuneral.com