Doris B Hanny

Doris Belle Hanny, 96, was born on December 8, 1919, in Dexterville, Wisconsin. She was the fifth of nine children born to Edward J. and Lucy Pinney Keenan.She graduated from Pittsville HIgh School in 1937 and moved to Elkhorn soon after, where she met her future husband. On April 21, 1939, in the parsonnage of the First Congregational Church, she and James Hanny were married. Doris and her husband and her brother-in-law, Elijah "Lefty" Hanny owned and operated Hanny's Restaurant and Hanny Brothers Milling Company for 45 years. As a child growning up in central Wisconsin, she camped with the Winnebago Indians, picked berries with her mom and sisters, hunted gophers with her trusty dog, skinned rabbits for a nickel apiece for local hunters and even hunted a few rattlesnakes for the DNR bounty price. To the chagrin of her sisters, she was a gifted piano player, who could play any song by ear. Her beloved pa (not her dad, her pa) always had her play the piano after supper while the rest of the girls cleaned the kitchen and washed dish. She was a colorful, independent and very generous woman. She was always making something to give away to someone else. Every new couple received one of her beautiful cross-stitched quilts; every new baby received a beautiful sweater with matching hat and booties. Miles and miles of yarn passed through her nimble fingers and was transformed over and over again into sweaters, hats, and mittens for family, for friends, for family's friends, for friend's friends -many of them for people she did not know and never met. It didn't matter. It gave her great joy to give to others. She had a beautiful and ready smile and spread sunshine wherever she went. She was preceded in death by her husband in 2001, her brother-in-law in 2005, brothers Edward Keenan, Robert Keenan, Kenneth (Casey) Keenan, sisters Loretta Kukla,Ruth Zeaman, Irene Wolf, Juanita Mattner and Harriet Lehner, and grandson Christopher Costoff. She is survived by daughters Dotty Swatek (Lyle), Burlington, Wisconsin, and Carol Ciccotosto (Nick), Woodstock, Illinois, and her son James Philip Hanny (Grace), Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; grandchildren Jennifer Johnson, Des Moines, Iowa, James Johnson (Lisa), San Diego, California and Julianne Froelich (Jeff) Fontana, Wisconsin, Paul Costoff, Crystal Lake, Illinois, Carolee Barnett, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Kristin Larkin (John), Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and Katy Freytag (Billy), Izmir, Turkey; great grandchildren Evan Smithson, Anna Froelich, Rianndra, Wyatt, and Mason Costoff, Mitchell and Mia Barnett, Corbin and Camden Larkin, and Taylor, Cole, and Billy Freytag; great, great granddaughter Brooklyn Freytag. She is also survived by many, many nieces and nephews. Visitation will be Monday, June 20th, from 12:00 to 3:00 at The First Congregational Church in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Funeral Service immediately following visitation. In accordance with her wishes,there will be a reception with food, fellowship and good music at the Red Geranium Restaurant in Lake Geneva. The family looks forward to everyone sharing stories and memories at that time. Family requests that in lieu of flowers a donation to charity of choice be made in Doris Hanny's memory. Visitation Monday, June 20th, 2016 12:00pm - 3:00pm, First Congregational United Church of Christ 715 Wisconsin Street Lake Geneva, WI 53147 Service Information Monday, June 20th, 2016 3:00pm, First Congregational United Church of Christ 715 Wisconsin Street Lake Geneva, WI 53147