Carol A. Kettner

Carol Ann Kettner (Sasse), age 91 of Appleton, WI passed away on December 20, 2025. She was born on January 13, 1934, in Clintonville, WI, the middle of nine children born to Annie and Julius Sasse. She attended Clintonville High School where she was a majorette with the band and taught baton twirling classes to grade school students. Carol graduated high school in 1952 and promptly started working at Appleton Machine Company, where she put her strong math skills to use and managed their Kardex inventory control system. It was at Appleton Machine where she met and later married Edward T. Kettner on August 31, 1957. They spent over 68 years together and raised four wonderful children of whom she was extremely proud. Carol spent two years working evenings in the proof department at First National Bank, followed by 27 years as a secretary for the Appleton Area School District, retiring in 1998.

Carol took millinery and tailoring classes at local vocational schools and was very talented in making sport coats, wedding dresses, ladies’ custom dresses and hats, as well as clothes for her growing children. She led a Girl Scout troop for many years and was an excellent cook. One of her proudest achievements was the cookbook she compiled for her children and grandchildren. Carol loved figure skating and, for many years, took skating lessons. She also loved knitting and every grandchild received special grandma sweaters, caps, or mittens when they were children. In later years, she knit hundreds of winter caps and mittens for various charities. Carol also had a special talent for helping those with health problems and was very instrumental in helping Ed through his many surgeries, particularly his hand injury and tummy problems, for which Ed was most grateful.

Carol is survived and will be deeply missed by her four children, Ann Byrne of Menasha, WI, Brian (Kathy) Kettner of Freedom, WI, Bruce Kettner of De Pere, WI, and Jane (James) Ruggiero of Lavon, TX; her grandchildren, Aaron (Jenny) Rebman, Ryan (Amie) Rebman, Cameron Kettner, Courtney (Israel) Becerril, Ali Kettner, Thomas Ruggiero, Michael Ruggiero, and Jeremy Ruggiero; and her great-grandchildren, Keely Sosnovske, Emma, Amelia, and Cole Rebman, Kayden Bera, and Scarlett, Isabella, William, Logan, and Jose Becerril.

Carol is preceded in death by her husband, Ed; her parents, Annie and Julius; her sisters, Blanche and June; and her brothers, Ralph, Donald, Lyle, Robert, Gerald, and David.

A memorial service will be held for Carol at 11 AM on Friday, January 16, 2026 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2220 E. College Ave, Appleton, WI 54915 with Pastor Timothy Seabaugh officiating. A time of visitation will be held from 9 AM until the time of the service at church. In lieu of flowers, please consider directing contributions to the Kettner Scholarship Fund at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.