Frances M. Vollrath

Frances (Fran) Mary Vollrath (nee Wagner), 75, of Stevens Point was called to her eternal rest on March 3, 2026, at the House of the Dove Hospice Center in Marshfield after a recurrence of metastatic breast cancer.

She was born in Cleveland, WI on January 5, 1951, to Kathryn and Robert Wagner. She enjoyed growing up on the shores of Lake Michigan and being a “Cleveland Kid.”

She graduated from Sheboygan North High School in 1968 before attending UWSP where she earned a degree in elementary education and was a proud member of the Alpha Phi sorority. She later received a master’s degree in education from UWSP. Fran taught 4th grade in Mosinee for 36 years. She loved teaching Wisconsin history, with a special affinity for “lumberjack day” and sharing the stories of Wisconsin.

She was married to Marc Vollrath in 1971. Together, they shared two beautiful daughters, Melissa and Amy, whom she loved with all her heart. Fran and Marc later divorced. In 1993 she met her soulmate, Gary Czaplewski, whom she married in Jamaica in 2007.

Fran loved gardening, traveling, golfing, reading and spending time with family and friends. She was a dedicated girl scout leader, a volunteer at the one-room schoolhouse at Heritage Park and was an energetic member of the Stevens Point Area Retired Teachers Association (SPARTA). She was also active in softball, volleyball, bowling and golf leagues through the years, including being a pitcher for Buffy’s Lampoon softball team.

Fran had an adventurous spirit, which took her on trips all over the US, Europe and the Caribbean. She especially loved traveling with her husband and going on many “girl trips” with her girlfriends. More than anything, she loved spending time with her family, and she had a kind and generous spirit which will be so greatly missed.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Alan, her son-in-law James Leu and former husband Marc Vollrath.

She is survived by her husband Gary, her daughters Melissa Vollrath (Erik Cook) of Montreal, QC and Amy Leu of Sun Prairie, WI. She is further survived by her beloved granddaughters Eloise and Margaux Cook and Maya and Emma Leu, her siblings Susan Wagner of Sheboygan, Richard (Lenore) Wagner, Jacksonville, FL, Ann Riddle, Manitowoc, WI and sister-in law, Shari Wagner, Milton, WI and many nieces and nephews. Fran also shared a special bond with her sisters-in-law - Mary Pagel (Almond, WI), Maggie Kumbier (Tim; East Troy, WI) and Penny Bader (James; Minneapolis, MN).

The family thanks Dr. Terri Hahn (Aspirus Clinic, Stevens Point) and the Oncology Dept. at Marshfield Clinic (Stevens Point) for their care and devotion over the years. We thank Compassus Hospice and Toni and Grace at the House of the Dove in Marshfield, WI.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (bcrf.org) or Wisconsin Public Television.

A Funeral Service for Fran will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, April 4, 2026 at Pisarski Funeral Home, 703 Second Street, Stevens Point. The visitation will be from 9:30 AM on Saturday until the time of service at the funeral home. A private family burial will take place at a later date in Guardian Angel Cemetery.  Pisarski Funeral Homes is honored to be serving the Vollrath and Czaplewski Families.