Althea Brach

Racine - Althea M. Brach, 94, passed away at her residence at the Harbor House on May 27, 2007. Althea was born in Racine to the late Albert and Augusta (nee: Buege) Brach on May 23, 1913. She had lived in Racine all her life. Miss Brach earned a B.E. from the Wisconsin State Teacher's College in Milwaukee. She received her M.A. from Northwestern University. She also did additional graduate work at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, University of Denver, and Harvard University. Miss Brach was employed by the Racine Unified School District as a teacher at Washington Jr. High School. She then became a counselor at Washington Park High School. She was a summer school instructor at the University of Wisconsin - Parkside, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, and at Carthage College from 1962 until 1976. She was the Director of Guidance for the Racine Unified School District from 1959 until her retirement in 1978. Miss Brach was honored in the Washington Park High School Hall of Fame in 1978. The Wisconsin Counselor Association Award is given annually in her name to the outstanding Counselor of the Year at Elementary, Middle, and Senior High Schools in Wisconsin. Miss Brach was a lifetime member of the First Evangelical Lutheran Church. She served on several church committees. She taught Sunday school for 50 years. She was a member of the Mission Circle, Ladies Aide, and Sewing Circle; the American and the Wisconsin Personnel and Guidance Associations; the National, the Wisconsin, and the Racine, Educators Associations; the American Association of University Women, Delta Kappa Gamma, Racine Symphony Guild, and the Hoy-Audubon Nature Club. Althea loved to travel extensively. She was a wonderful person, always the teacher, and never had a bad word to say about anyone. She touched many people in so many ways and will be greatly missed by all. Althea is survived by her cousins, Mary Pederson, Hazel (Allen), Christian, Michael, and Erik Johnson, Carla Bergemann, Fred, Richard, and Robert Buege, Ruth Ann Monteith, John Laatsch, Joyce Anderson, Barbara Emde-Stoffel, Helen, and Vickie Stoffel, Lisa Harris, Katie Duffy, Bonnie Brach, Anita Shaffer, and special life long friend, Joy Joslyn. Other relatives and special friends also survive. Funeral services will be held at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 728 Villa Street, on Saturday, June 2, 2007 at 11 am with Rev. John Roekle officiating. Interment will be held at Mound Cemetery on Monday morning, June 4, 2007 at 10 am. Relatives and friends may meet with the family at the church on Saturday from 9 am until service time. Memorials to First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Racine Public Library, the Chiwaukee Prairie Fund, or the Hoy-Audubon Club have been suggested. Althea's family would like to specially thank the staff at Harbor House, who were so good to her.

Althea Brach

May 23, 1913 - May 27, 2007