Venice Gigstead

Venice Gigstead (96), passed away on November 15th, 2025, at Aurora on France, a care facility in Minneapolis, MN. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, James Gigstead (94) on September 2, 2020.

Venice and Jim both grew-up on dairy farms on the Wisconsin peninsula and settled in Green Bay, Wisconsin where they raised their three daughters, Ellen, Gail and Karen.

While Jim worked all over the state of Wisconsin as a Boilermaker, often under dangerous and freezing conditions, Venice worked diligently as a housewife - raising three daughters and eventually worked as an Executive Secretary at the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. They worked together to provide the best they could for their children. Through example, they taught their children work ethic and responsibility by giving each jobs (watching out for one another, household cleaning, helping to make meals and the clean-up).

Mom made sure we were always dressed nicely, especially during holidays. She would dress us in matching dresses, white gloves, hats and patent leather shoes for Easter. When dad was home from work on weekends, they would manage to take us to Bay Beach (.10 rides) for fun. Although mom had a full time job, she made sure we ate healthy meals. It seemed we were the only students in school that were packed whole wheat sandwiches for lunch. No one would trade sandwiches with us.

Each of us selected a musical instrument to learn in school in addition to the piano lessons we all received every week. There were family trips and family get-togethers with aunts, uncles and cousins. They were sure all three of us graduated from collage, and more importantly, knew their Lord. We knew we were loved.

After retirement the state of Florida called to them. They bought a home in Summerfield, but when spring arrived, off they'd drive to Algoma, Wisconsin to spend summers at their beloved little red cottage on Lake Michigan. That drive down "the pretty road" led us to the love that always greeted us. Dad made an "Uff-Da" swing for their grandchildren and taught each of them to build their own toolbox. Mom loved to make her famous applesauce each summer. It went well with lefse and cheese curds. While it was tough to get the young boys out of Lake Michigan, the granddaughters loved to collect rocks from the beach and make nature crafts together. How Blessed we all were.

Jim and Venice are greatly missed by family and are survived by Ellen Zampino, whose husband, Mike, recently passed (children: Michael Louis and Aliandra), Gail and Ron Hancock (children: Abigail and Ellen), Karen and Jim Schaefer (Andrew [Justine}, Matthew [Tiffany] and Adam [Caitlyn], and grandchildren: Charlotte Schaefer, Sawyer James Schaefer and George Schaefer.

Because Jim passed away during COVID, a celebration of both Jim and Venice will be held at Tanum Forest Evangelical Lutheran Church (6102 County Road 00) outside of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, July 15th, 2026.