Jacqueline L. Purcell

Heaven has gained a beautiful soul, while those of us on Earth have lost someone deeply loved. After a nine-year battle with Alzheimer’s dementia, Jacqueline “Jackie” Purcell passed away peacefully on September 1, 2026.

Jackie was never rich, but she lived a rich life. She was the beloved daughter of Harold and Lillian Bigelow and was born on June 3, 1937, on a farm in Gratiot County, Michigan, where her grandparents sharecropped. She graduated from J.W. Sexton High School in Lansing, Michigan, in 1956.

She was preceded in death by her former husband of 20 years, Kieran Purcell; their son, Rodney Purcell; her daughter-in-law, Debra Purcell; her parents; and her siblings, Brenda Neuhauser, Honey Bigelow, and Lawrence Bigelow. Jackie is survived by her children, Gordon Purcell and Amanda Lauer (husband John); her grandchildren, Stephanie (David) Dokko, Nicholas (Emily) Lauer, Samantha (Ryan) Seifert, Elizabeth (Richard) Oviatt, and Jack Purcell; great-grandchildren, Joseph, Katherine & Benjamin Dokko; Declan, Evelyn & Margaret Lauer; and Lena & Henry Seifert; her brother, Raymond; her sister, Kay; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A woman of faith and a devoted mother who loved her children fiercely, Jackie created a warm, joyful, and inviting home wherever she lived. She was known for her love of the Peanuts cartoon characters, her generosity, her creative, thoughtful presents, and her cooking skills—hearty meat-and-potato suppers and delicious desserts, particularly strawberry rhubarb pie and peanut butter squares—ideal for last-minute bake sales.

An active and talented woman, Jackie played golf, volleyball, softball, and bowled. She was a Girl Scout leader, an Avon lady (with young Amanda as her assistant), worked as a counter clerk at Molle Jewelry & Gifts and Gunkel’s Bakery in Antigo, Wisconsin, and later was employed in retail, grocery, and housekeeping roles in Lansing, Michigan, Birmingham, Alabama, and Appleton, Wisconsin.

Her artistic gifts shone through in sewing children’s and doll clothes, creating crafts, making hundreds of stuffed bunnies and multiple sets of The Three Wise Men (winning first place at the Langlade County Fair), crocheting granny square afghans, and turning Amanda’s wedding dress into baptismal gowns for her great-grandchildren.

She kept her home beautifully decorated for every season—especially fall and Christmas—and tended gorgeous flower gardens. Jackie volunteered with the Appleton Women’s League and the St. Vincent de Paul Christmas Store, and sang with the Young at Heart Choir at the former Thompson Community Center.

Jackie was a role model of resilience, humor, and making the most of life. After turning 80, an emergency surgery led to dementia and Alzheimer’s, yet she faced those challenges with the same strength she showed throughout her life.

The family is deeply grateful for the caring teams at Aspire Senior Living in Appleton, Century Oaks Senior Living in Appleton, and Helen’s House in Kimberly, who cared for Jackie for the first eight years of her journey, and the compassionate hospice and memory care team members at St. Paul Elder Services in Kaukauna, who lovingly watched over her from December 17, 2025, until the time of her death.

Visitation for Jackie will be held from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. on October 9, 2026, at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, 222 E. Fremont St., Appleton, with a funeral Mass to follow at 4:00 p.m. Jackie will be laid to rest at a later date at St. Mary Cemetery in Menasha, WI. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund will be set up in Jackie’s name.

For her 60th class reunion, Jackie wrote a short biography: “I’ve had a wonderful life. When I graduated from J.W. Sexton High School, I had a goal of becoming a teacher—American history and gym. I also wanted to live near Lake Michigan. Two times in my life I had that opportunity. I didn’t go into teaching gym, but I’ve played a lot of sports in my life. I’m the mother of three children and grandmother of five. I have lived all over the United States, from New Jersey to California to Alabama to Wisconsin. I won trophies for various sports and earned ribbons for crafts I created and showed at local and state fairs. Since I moved back to Wisconsin in 1998, I’ve done a lot of traveling, taking day trips with the local YMCA, visiting my grandchildren in Ohio and Minnesota, and visiting relatives in Michigan and Alabama. In the last several years, I took up line dancing and singing too. I’ve done some modeling and recently was in a local and a national commercial. I work part-time doing housekeeping and devote a good amount of time to volunteering. My favorite volunteer job is helping run the St. Vincent de Paul Christmas shop in our area. I’m semi-retired and happy to say I’m in excellent health. I enjoy volunteer work, reading, crafting, gardening, sewing, and Civil War re-enacting. I created all my Civil War costumes by hand. After four years of hard work, I am finishing up remodeling a house I purchased that is almost identical to the Craftsman-style home I grew up in back in Lansing. Life can be wild at times, but I’m keeping up!”

Mom, you were always an inspiration to me. I remember cheering you on when you played sports when I was young. You showed me how to balance life as a full-time mom while doing side jobs to help support the family. Through the years, I’ve admired how gracefully you handled every challenge life presented. You held your ground, kept your sense of humor, and filled our lives with love and creativity. We will all miss you deeply, but so many everyday things will bring a smile to our faces and remind us of you. Give Dad, Rod, and the rest of the family a hug from all of us. Save a spot in Heaven—we’ll see you there someday.