Passed away of natural causes on January 27, 2021 at the age of 88, at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center, Appleton, WI. Beloved wife of 66 years to the late Thomas M. Thompson. Cherished mother of Bonnie M. (Rick) Post, Fate, TX; Becky K. Thompson, Pamela D. (Chuck) Tontz, Oshkosh, WI; Jennifer L. (Jon) Weisnicht, Shawano, WI; and Erica J. (Mike) Swain, Waukesha, WI. Proud grandmother of Ryan Tontz, Michael Post, Jeffrey (Christal) Post, Erik Tontz, and Jered (Tara) Weisnicht, and her one granddaughter Jana (Mitch) Hess; and great grandmother of 12. Cherished sister of Jane Woodruff, Susan (Jim) Eder, and Phyllis (Neil) Schlough and sister-in-law of Jane (Blunt) Burgess. Preceded in death by her parents, Clifford and Mildred; siblings Melvin "Buzz," Raymond, Clifford Jr. "Junior," Cameron, Marilyn Rufledt; and brother-in-laws, Dave Woodruff and Norman Rufledt, and sister-in-law, Judy. Further survived by cousins, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Memorial Visitation FRIDAY, July 30, 2021 from 9:00 A.M.-10:00 A.M. at NORWAY LUTHERAN CHURCH 6321 Heg Park Rd, Wind Lake, WI 53185. Memorial Service at 10:00 A.M. Private inurnment Southern Wisconsin Veteran's Memorial Cemetery. Born during the Great Depression to Clifford Henry Burgess and Mildred Ellen (Lewis) Burgess, a teacher, in Eau Claire, WI. She was their first child to survive infancy and she had eight younger siblings. Her parents rented and worked farms, they moved five times before Juanita graduated from high school in 1950 in Cadott, WI. After graduation, she became a working woman, an accounts receivable clerk at the W. H. Brady Company in Chippewa Falls, WI. She used part of her earnings to provide her family with modern conveniences like indoor plumbing and gifts under the Christmas tree. In 1953, she married an airman, Thomas M. Thompson of Chetek, WI. She loved and supported her husband so she left her beloved family to accompany him to Columbus, Ohio, where he was stationed. While there, Juanita worked as an executive assistant for the F. J. Heer Printing Company. When Tom was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force, they returned to northern Wisconsin where Tom used the GI bill to attend Stout State College (now the University of Wisconsin - Stout, a premier polytechnic university). Juanita typed all of his papers for school while tending to their three daughters born in three years. After graduation, Tom accepted an offer to teach at Muskego High School, Muskego, WI, they once again left their families and moved to southeastern Wisconsin. They had two more daughters and when the youngest started school, Juanita became a teacher's assistant and then she chose to drive school bus so that she had the same school-year schedule as her children and could spend more time with them. She drove school bus for Muskego Transport, Inc. and was awarded the National School Bus Service Safety Director's Award for Safe Driving each of the fourteen years she drove students for the Muskego-Norway Consolidated School system. During two summers, while school was not in-session, she delivered mail for the USPS. In 1987, Juanita and Tom followed a dream to manage a hotel. They chose the Budgetel Inn in Manitowoc, WI, owned by the Marcus Corporation. Juanita enjoyed the guests and the beautiful city on the shores of Lake Michigan. They returned to Muskego to sell their home. Juanita then worked for a Ramada Inn and Eder Industries, setting up the components needed for the assembly of computer boards. She worked for Eder Industries until her retirement. In November of 2020, she decided she needed additional care and went to live with her daughter Jennifer and son-in-law Jon. Juanita loved spending time with family and friends; she attended nearly every family event and class reunion. She enjoyed her pets, animals in general, plants (Christmas cacti, peace plants and African violets thrived in her home), collecting recipes and reading. She became a member of Norway Lutheran Church in March of 1960 and was a member of their Prayer Chain until her dying days. Juanita had a simple faith in God. She saw Jesus in everyone and therefore never met a stranger; she loved interacting and conversing with everyone. We all will miss her deeply. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the following: Shawano Cares About Critters https://www.shawanocares.org/ or Rawhide Youth Services, https://www.rawhide.org/give-to-rawhide/