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- Romenesko, DuWayne "Romy"
On May 29, 2015 DuWayne "Romy" Wenzel Romenesko, age 78, Appleton, left this world to join his faithful wife, Evelyn Rose, and son, Gary. DuWayne was born April 16, 1937 to Walter and Ruth (Vanden Heuvel) Romenesko of Freedom, the oldest of nine children. On March 2, 1957, he married Evelyn Rose Schumacher, and together they raised four wonderful children, Gary, Keith, Rick, and Dawn. Throughout their marriage, he and Evelyn had several successful business ventures, including running the family farm, trucking hay, and eventually going on to build, own, and operate Romy's New Nitingale.
DuWayne will be remembered as a hardworking man who believed in the value of a full day's work. He and Evelyn shared a very strong work ethic that they strove to instill in their children and all of their employees over the years. Romy's was built from the ground up, board-by-board, in 1962 by Walter, Ruth, DuWayne, and Eve. In 1967, DuWayne and Eve acquired the business from Walter and Ruth and continued to build the legacy that Romy's is known for today. In 1997, DuWayne, Eve, and brother, Bing, turned over the reins to Gary, Keith, and Dawn who incorporated the business, and in 2005, Dawn and Keith purchased the property from their parents. The entire Romenesko family is very grateful for all of the devoted employees who have helped establish Romy's reputation for service and quality that one can expect when visiting for Friday Fish Fry, Sunday dinner, a wedding or anniversary celebration, or any other event. Without the dedication and hard work of these employees over the years, Romy's Nitingale would not be what it is today.
In his retirement years, DuWayne enjoyed spending time at their homestead, Romy's Acres. He loved working with his backhoe to put in ponds and maintain the property and mowing the vast lawn. He was always happy to give visitors tours of the grounds on the golf cart. In fact, he and Eve frequently hosted happy newlyweds and their wedding parties for photographs at the beautifully kept property.
He is survived by three children: Keith (fiancée, Dawn Moore) Romenesko, Rick (special friend, Julie Schroeder) Romenesko, and Dawn (friend, Keith Schroeder) Balthazor; eight grandchildren: Lori (Kyle) Klisiewicz, Lisa (Jamie) Smith, Ben (Tanya) Romenesko, Danielle (Tanner) Buchman, Craig (Lindsey) Romenesko, Ashley (fiancée, Michael Prince) Thoma, Chad (Kristin Pierre) Balthazor, and Erik (Holly) Balthazor; and eight great-grandchildren: Faith and Jaxon Romenesko, Brayden and Kaleb Romenesko, Avari Buchman, Ryker and Garrett Smith, and Brycin Klisiewicz. He is further survived by Melissa Tisch (mother of Lori and Lisa), Ann Van Straten (mother of Craig and Ashley), Cheryl Romenesko (mother of Ben and Danielle), and Steven Balthazor (father of Chad and Erik).
He was preceded in death by his son, Gary, in 2003; his wife, Evelyn Rose, in 2010; his parents, Walter and Ruth Romenesko; parents-in-law, John and Agnes Schumacher; brothers, Orin ("Butch") and Darrel; sister, Lavon; brother-in-law, Robert; sister-in-law, Cathy; and nephew, Travis.
The Mass of Resurrection for DuWayne will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 3, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. at St. Edward's Parish in Mackville. Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. until the time of the funeral. Muehl-Boettcher Funeral Home is assisting the family. Online condolences may be expressed at www.muehlboettcher.com
Dad, give Mom and Gary a hug from us. Don't worry; we will keep them lawns mowed. We love you -- Rufus, George, & Toots
Dawn and Keith would like to extend special thanks to the current Romy's Nitingale staff, neighbors, and friends who have worked so hard to ensure that Romy's tradition of providing the highest quality service is continued despite this very difficult time. The entire Romenesko family would like to extend their gratitude to the firefighters, the emergency medical services, and the Outagamie County Sheriff's Department who responded, and to Dr. Doug Meyer and his wonderful neighbors.
- TOWN OF CENTER The man who died in a fire at his house Friday night was identified as DuWayne Romenesko, former owner of Romy's Nitingale Banquet Hall & Supper Club.
Outagamie County Coroner Ruth Wulgaert said Romenesko died from "thermal injuries that are consistent with being in a fire." He was 78.
Town of Center Fire Chief Steve Schmeichel said Romenesko lived alone in the house at N3622 County A and was found dead in his family room, where the fire started.
The fire was reported shortly before 9 p.m. by a passer-by, and firefighters remained on the scene for nine hours. Schmeichel said the single-story home was a total loss.
The cause of the fire has not been determined.
Romenesko and his father, Walter, built Romy's Nitingale in 1963, and it has been an institution for wedding receptions, banquets and polka dances. A statue of a steer on the roof serves as a local landmark.
Romenesko and his wife, Evelyn, took sole ownership in 1967. Two of their children Keith Romenesko and Dawn Balthazor operate the business today. It is located at W5670 County A, about 10 miles north of Appleton and four miles south of Black Creek.
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1937 - 2015 (78 years)
