Antoinette Timmel

Antoinette “Toni” Timmel, age 98 of Appleton, passed away on Saturday, March 8, 2025. Toni was born in Reims, France, on June 17, 1926, to Marie and Jule Itan. Following her school years, she worked in an airplane facility for the German military forces, and for the American forces after the war.

Toni came to America in 1946, and though she loved her French ancestry, she became a U.S. citizen in 1951. However, she always retained her charming French accent.

Toni’s first employment in Appleton was with Zwicker Knitting Mills, and then with AAL (now Thrivent), where she met her future husband, Ruben Timmel. They were married July 31, 1954, and shared thirty-eight years before Ruben’s death in 1992. Their son Mark was born October 6, 1955.

She taught her herself to read and write in English. Toni loved to knit, travel, crochet, and enjoyed French music. She also loved making crepes, and pecan, grape, and custard pies. She loved to go out for fish frys and have a glass of wine. She named herself “Toni Baloney” because she liked to talk and joke with the people at Frontida Assisted Living in Kimberly, where she called home for the past several years. There she met a very special friend – Jerry. She will be missed by everyone there.

Toni is survived by a daughter-in-law and three grandchildren who live in the Philippines, three nieces, two nephews, and her very special caretaker, Mary Gose.

Along with her husband and her son Mark, Toni was preceded in death by her parents, in-laws, a sister, three brothers-in-law, and one sister-in-law.

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Frontida assisted Living in Kimberly and the compassionate staff of Compassus Hospice care, for not only her daily care, but all the extra things they did for Toni on a daily basis.

The funeral service for Toni will be held at 2:00 PM on Sunday, March 16, 2025, at the Wichmann Funeral Home, located at 537 N. Superior Street in Appleton. A private burial will take place on Monday at Highland Memorial Park. Visitation will take place at the funeral Home on Sunday from 1:00 PM until the time of the service.