Aranka Both

Born on Christmas Day 1932, as a gift from God to Johann and Julia in the little town of Mucsi, Hungary, Aranka was a gift to everyone that got to know her. Her life was dedicated to God, family, and cooking. On April 7th, 2025, Aranka was blessed with what she prepared for all her life; the opportunity to meet our Lord and be reunited with Ernie, the love of her life.
Life in the small town of Mucsi was not easy. Everyone was put to work on the family farm. And when you graduated from 6th grade, your formal education was over and it was time to really get to work. Fortunately, Aranka picked up the art of cooking. And at the age of 16, she was a master at turning flour, milk, and eggs into multiple gourmet meals.
After WWII, at a time when Russian forces occupied Hungary, Aranka's family was displaced from Mucsi carrying pillowcases and bedsheets filled with their possessions as they boarded train box cars and resettled as refugees in war-torn Germany. Through a hard work ethic, the family acclimated to their new country, and with other families from Mucsi, built a strong familial bond that would last to this day.
It was at a dance in their German town where Aranka would meet a young coal miner and railroad worker that swept her off her feet. She spotted something right away in Ernst Both and treasured their time together. In 1952 Ernie's number came up and he was allowed to immigrate to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was sponsored by an uncle who taught him the butcher trade, his first of several occupations in the United States. In 1953 Ernie returned to Germany to marry Aranka. He then returned to the US and waited until 1954 when Aranka was able to get her VISA to immigrate to Milwaukee to finally join her husband.
Aranka worked as a seamstress in Milwaukee with other ladies from Mucsi and was also proud of her second grade English Language class that they took to help assimilate to the culture of the United States. After a few years sewing with the ladies, it was time for Ernie and Aranka to start their family.
Leroy was born in 1957, Margaret in 1959, and Gerald in 1962 – and their family was complete. Aranka was now a full-time housewife taking care of the kids, keeping the house clean, and perfecting her gourmet meals of flour, milk and eggs, and adding sauerkraut and different meats to her repertoire.
In 1970 Ernie and Aranka were given the opportunity to manage The Schwabenhof, a German clubhouse in Menomonee Falls, WI where Ernie learned bartending, and Aranka honed her skills in the restaurant's kitchen. After a period of about ten months, during which they listened to the four different German Club Presidents each telling them how they thought things should be run, Ernie and Aranka came to the realization that they could do this on their own, and that they could be the ones making the decisions.
After searching different areas of Wisconsin, a resort was found in Mercer – a town which was a frequent weekend escape from Milwaukee. Pine Trees Hideaway was purchased in 1971, and Aranka was now in charge of her very own kitchen. And names to the foods the kids had been eating for years were formally put on a menu. Weiner Schnitzel and Bread Dumplings, Beef Roladen and Spaetzles, Cabbage Rolls and Potato Dumplings, and Ham Hocks and Sauerkraut – just to name a few of her dishes.
Preparations started early in the morning and Aranka was ready by 5 O'clock every day to serve people until the 10 PM closing time. Friday nights in the summers were non-stop, turning over the dining room multiple times as Aranka served her Fish Fry with her homemade German Potato Salad or German Potato Pancakes. Saturdays saw little rest for her as her Oven Baked Ducks were prepared and filled the two ovens to be ready in time for the 5 PM start. Serving over 100 people was the norm on Friday and Saturday nights in the summers for Aranka.
The small dining room, which seated around 25 people at a time, was soon expanded by Ernie to bring the seating up to the max capacity of around 35 people. Yet, at times, customers waited in the bar for hours to eat Aranka's homemade German food.
Cooking was her life, and she didn't want to stop. Two years after Pine Trees Hideaway was sold, Aranka realized she couldn't cook for just two people and so a call was made to newlyweds Margie and Colin. The purchase of a restaurant was in their future and The Little Brittany was born.
Little Brittany was interrupted by a short stint back at Pine Trees Hideaway, but it didn't matter where she was – give her a kitchen and she was in heaven!
Ernie and Aranka were snowbirds as well spending six months in Cape Coral, FL during the winters and six months in Mercer, where they were eager to get back to work at Little Brittany, soon to be renamed The Pines. While in Cape Coral over the winters, Aranka was always first to put out the invitation to friends and neighbors to be their guests for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter dinners. Cooking for eight, ten or even more people was no problem as Ernie made an extension for an already expanded dining table and Aranka made sure that her food was always hot. To her, warm food was cold food, and there would be none of that.
After Ernie passed in 2011 Aranka continued helping Margie in The Pines kitchen, preparing food and trays of bread dumplings during the day. Even in her 90s Aranka came back to Mercer for Loon Day where she peeled potatoes, made trays of bread dumplings, would try to take control of the kitchen, bark out the orders to the young girls helping Margie, and bring laughter and smiles to our faces. She could not stop cooking. It was in her DNA!
Aranka's later years were spent in Rochester, Saint Paul, and Inver Grove Heights, MN where Lee and his wife Linda cared for her needs while she was in local assisted living facilities. Aranka loved spending time with her precious great grandchildren that lived nearby, and they brought incredible joy to her life.
The final days of Aranka's life could not have been more perfect as Margie and Erv drove her down to Madison for a family get-together and celebration of granddaughter Sammi's birthday. There she saw her 15-month-old great grandson, Niall, entertain everyone, putting a smile on her face and joy in her heart that all her great grandchildren did so often in her final years.
Aranka was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Ernst; parents, Johann and Julia; and siblings Rudy, Gabe, and Monica. She is survived by her son Leroy (Linda) Both of Inver Grove Heights, MN; daughter Margaret (Colin) Ervin of Mercer, WI; and son Gerald (Deborah) Both of Austin, TX. Grandchildren Jessica, Mathew, Samantha, Katrina, Kelly, Michael, Christopher, and five Great Grandchildren Landon, Layla, Jocelyn, Isabelle and Niall.
A day of celebration of Aranka's life will be held on Monday, August 4th, beginning with a visitation at 10AM followed by a mass at 11AM at St. Isaac Jogues Catholic Church in Mercer, WI. The internment at the Mercer Cemetery will be after mass, followed by her Celebration of Life in The Pines Garden.