Jane E. (Zeman) Protz

Jane Elizabeth Protz, age 102, died Monday, April 28th, 2025, at home in Sister Bay, WI. She was born in Manitowoc, WI on June 23, 1922, to Edward and Minnie Zeman and was the second of three daughters.

Jane attended Sacred Heart Catholic grade school and graduated from Lincoln High School in Manitowoc. She continued her education at St. Mary’s of Notre Dame for two years, then transferred to University of Wisconsin-Madison. Jane was a war bride and left college to marry Lt. Wm. F. Protz on November 4, 1943. After the war, Bill returned to Manitowoc and together they raised four children. Bill retired in 1983, and they moved to Savannah, GA on Skidaway Island. They always kept a footprint in Door County and enjoyed summers in Egg Harbor. Jane was widowed in 1997; in 2020 she moved permanently to Sister Bay, WI to live with her daughter.

Jane was preceded in death by her husband, William F. Protz; her two sisters and brothers-in-law, Marion and Edward Schuessler and Pauline and Robert M. Langenfeld; and granddaughter Melissa Protz.

She is survived by her four children, William Protz (Carolyn) of West End, NC; John Protz (Joyce) of Port Charlotte, FL & Egg Harbor, WI, Janet Protz of Sister Bay, WI, and Nancy Pillat (Paul) of Sister Bay, WI; six grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Mass will be held Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at Stella Maris, Sister Bay Church at 11:00 a.m. Friends may visit prior to the service at the church from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.. A private burial will be held in Manitowoc on May 15, 2025.

“We would like to express our thanks and appreciation to Unity Hospice. Their support, education and hands-on training allowed us to keep our mother at home during her long decline and passing. We will never forget their countless kindnesses.”

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to any charity of your choice, to the Melissa A. Protz “Make a Difference” Fund, Fulcrum Foundation, 710 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, or to Stella Maris Parish, PO Box 49, Egg Harbor, Wisconsin 54209-0049.

Casperson Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Sister Bay is assisting the Protz family. Expressions of sympathy, memories, and photos of Jane may be shared with her family through her tribute page at www.caspersonfuneralhome.com.

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