Elizabeth Jean "Bette" Meunier

Elizabeth Jean “Bette” Meunier, age 95, of Gillett, passed away on March 14, 2026. Born on November 30, 1930, in Iron Belt, Wisconsin, to Bert and Ethel Marolla, Bette graduated from Iron Belt High School in 1948. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northland College in Ashland in 1952, where she was a member of Delta Pi Theta Sorority, the Heritage Society, and a soprano soloist in the college choir.

Bette devoted 32 years to teaching high school English and music in the Gillett Public Schools, retiring in 1990. Her deep passion for the arts inspired countless students, many of whom later told her how profoundly she had influenced their lives. One former student, Tracy Bent, dedicated a book to her, an honor that touched her greatly. Her choirs consistently earned top honors at district and state competitions, and she directed eight different performing groups. In 1989, her Class A Concert Choir was selected to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City, a highlight she treasured. In recognition of her lasting impact on the music program, the school auditorium was named the Meunier-Pelow Auditorium in 1997.

In 1954, Bette married G. Frank Meunier at St. John Catholic Church in Gillett. They shared 70 loving years together until Frank’s passing. They raised one son, Mitchell, and delighted in traveling throughout Europe, the Hawaiian Islands, and Mexico, with family vacations to Cancun among their favorite memories. Bette cherished every moment spent with her family, especially her granddaughters and great-grandsons.

A longtime member of the American Legion Auxiliary and VFW Auxiliary Post 8314, Bette gave generously of her time through volunteer work at the local food pantry, nursing home, church dinners, blood bank, and hospital. She was also a dedicated advocate for the ASPCA. She enjoyed golfing, playing bridge and three-card nickels, collecting angel figurines, writing children’s stories, and cheering for her beloved Green Bay Packers alongside Frank for more than seven decades.

Bette is survived by her son, Mitchell (Julie); granddaughters, Michelle (Andrew) Block and Melissa (Ramsay) Thompson; great-grandsons, Andrew and Samuel Block and Ty Thompson; sister-in-law, Shirley Foelker; nephews, James (Elizabeth) Joannes, Jack (Jenn) Foelker, Dirk Foelker and Jason Foelker; and many other relatives and dear friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank; her parents, Bert and Ethel Marolla; and her brothers, Bert Jr. and Victor Marolla.