Barbara Danen

Barbara Jane Danen, age 78, of Allouez, passed away December 22, 2022 at her home. The daughter of the late Sylvester M. (Biff) and Ruth (Scannell) Helf was born November 23, 1944. She attended St. Mary's of the Angels grade school and graduated from Saint Joseph's Academy with the class of 1963. She married her high school sweetheart Dan Danen on June 4, 1966, at St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Church in Green Bay. Barbara held many jobs over her lifetime, beginning with the Vic theater in downtown Green Bay. There she sold tickets and worked the concession stand helping her large family to make ends meet. This made Barbara excellent at handling money and budgeting. She put those skills to work as a bookkeeper at Green Bay Day Nursery (Encompass) and Danen Hardware before finding her true calling as a Teacher's Aide and Job Specialist at Syble Hopp School, where she placed many students in their first jobs in the community. She was a member of the De Pere Women’s Club, a volunteer at the St. Vincent Hospital Gift Shop as a member of the Hospital Auxiliary, and an active member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Ledgeview, where she was a Eucharistic Minister. She loved her golf league at Hilly Haven and spending her summers with her family, especially trips to Door County and Bay Beach. Every summer she hosted “Camp Amma” for her 8 grandchildren, doing activities “morning, noon and night”.

Barbara is survived by her husband, Dan; children: Phil Danen (Jessie), Shelly (David) Holten, John (Sarah) Danen and Molly (Chad) Mehlberg; grandchildren: Madison, Megan and Ben Danen (and their mother Debra Danen); Katherine, Natalie and Thomas Holten; Sam and Cece Mehlberg; brother and sisters: Mary (Tom) Steffke, Peter (Holly) Helf, Ellen (Mark) Annoye, Margaret Edinger and Christine Broeren, as well as her brother and sister-in-law Wayne (Mary Ann) Danen.

She was preceded in death by her parents: Ruth and Sylvester (Biff) Helf; brothers: John, Patrick (Ollie) and Mike; brother-in-law Dave Broeren; Dan’s parents Loretta and Ray Danen; brother and sister-in-law Ralph (Kay) Danen and sister-in-law Donna Cornelissen.

Family and friends may visit at St. Mary Catholic Church, 4805 Sportsman Drive, Ledgeview, on Tuesday, December 27, from 2:00 pm until 5:30 pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 6:00pm Tuesday with Fr. Ben Johnson officiating. Cotter Funeral and Cremation Care is assisting the family.

Our family would like to thank the caregivers at Unity Hospice, Curative Connections, and all of our family and friends who helped out with mom the last few years; taking her for lunch, dinner or bringing over peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and just visiting. Barbara loved you all “bigger than the sky”!