Lisa Marie Brooks, age 50, of Republic, Missouri passed away Thursday, August 30, 2018 at Cox Medical Center South in Springfield, Missouri, with her husband by her side, after a courageous year and a half fight against cancer.

A Celebration of Life for Lisa will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, September 22, 2018 at Ritchay Funeral Home in Wisconsin Rapids. Rev. William Menzel will officiate the service. The family will greet relatives and friends on Saturday morning from 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM at the funeral home. Burial will take place following the service at Calvary Cemetery in Wisconsin Rapids.

Lisa was born on August 22, 1968, in Ashland, Wisconsin. She attended schools in Neenah, Wisconsin until the family moved to Baraboo where she graduated from Baraboo High School. She met and married her “soul mate” Michael Brooks on July 21, 1990 in Baraboo, Wisconsin and they just celebrated 28 years together.

Lisa worked as a CNA in numerous nursing facilities in the Baraboo area until she went back to school and graduated in 2004 from MATC Reedsburg with a degree in Practical Nursing. Prior to her illness, Lisa was a home health nurse for paraplegic children in the Springfield, Missouri area. She and Mike were also foster parents for many years and served as house parents at Rawhide before moving to Missouri.

Lisa will always be remembered for her infectious smile, her sense of humor and generous nature. She had many interests and hobbies and people were always on the receiving end of her gifts of jewelry, knitting, ceramics, soaps or natural oils. She loved to play cards and board games, and had a passion for writing poetry and a great love and affection for her dogs, Messa and Zoro.

She is survived by her husband, Mike of Republic, Missouri; her parents, John and Shirley (Kubisiak) Koltz of Wisconsin Rapids; brothers, Matthew Koltz of Neenah, Wisconsin; and Christopher Koltz (Traci) and their children, Ethan and Noah, of Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin. She is further survived by her father in-law, Bruce Brooks of Bolivar, Missouri; sister in-law, Debbie (Chuck) Sicher of Bolivar, Missouri and their two children Cassidy and Tabitha; brother in–law, Steve Brooks (Patricia) of Florida and his children Elisha and Preston, and many cousins.

She will be dearly missed by her forever friends Elissa Schlack and Cheramie Jones of Neenah, Wisconsin and by her beloved aunt, Gloria Kubisiak, and godmother, Margaret (Peggy) Kubisiak.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Leo and Sophia Kubisiak; John “Bogey” and Agnes Koltz; her mother-in-law, Marie Brooks, and Mike’s grandmother, Evelyn Pettinger.

Ritchay Funeral Home (1950 12th St. S) in Wisconsin Rapids is assisting the family with arrangements.