Frances (Fran) K. Berres, daughter of August and Winnie Kutchenriter, was born on March 31,1927. She passed away peacefully at her residence in Racine, WI on June 16, 2026 at the age of 99. In celebration of Fran's life, a Mass will be held at  St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 6400 Spring St., Racine on Tuesday, June 30 at 11am.  Relatives and friends may meet with the family Tuesday at the church from 9:30-11.  Interment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, 5600 Holy Cross Road in Racine.

Fran will be dearly missed by her three loving children, Mark (Jeanne) Berres of La Quinta, CA, Sharon (Chris) Hansen of Racine, WI and Gregg (Lorre) Berres of Brentwood, TN; two grandchildren, Evan (Jim) McKay of Nashville and Mathew Berres of Nashville; and two great-grandchildren, Rory and Graham McKay of Nashville. Fran will also be missed by dear friends, Carolyn Allan and Suzanne Morgan, both of Spring Hill, FL and nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

The youngest of six children, Fran grew up on a dairy farm in Clintonville, Wisconsin and graduated from Clintonville High School in 1944. She went on to college earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point in 1948. After graduation, Fran taught Home Economics in Athens, Wisconsin, where she met Cliff Berres and later taught in Random Lake, WI, while Cliff finished school at Marquette University.   On December 27, 1952, she married Cliff at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Athens and they enjoyed nearly 60 wonderful years of marriage until his passing in 2012.

After Cliff received his degree, they moved to Racine, Wisconsin.  Fran was a homemaker and together with Cliff, raised their 3 children, which they both felt was their most rewarding lifetime accomplishment.  In her younger years, Fran enjoyed sewing, baking, camping with the family, and dancing with Cliff at the Cudworth Post.  Later, Cliff and Fran spent much of their summer at their cottage on Lake Arbutus in northern Wisconsin, enjoying lake life and working on projects. Fran especially loved visits from her children and grandchildren there, enjoying the lake, pontoon boat rides and evening campfires.

In 1993, Cliff and Fran moved to Timber Pines retirement community in Spring Hill, FL and spent summers in Wisconsin.  There, Fran enjoyed ballroom and square dancing with Cliff, social activities with her Woodlands neighbors and various Timber Pines Clubs.  She especially enjoyed the friendships she made through the Heart & Hand Quilt Club and learning and mastering the art of quilting with them.  Over the years, Fran made over 30 quilts which are treasured family heirlooms.

When Cliff passed in 2012, Fran continued to live independently in her Florida condo until 2025.  It was then she decided to move closer to family and thrived at the Primrose Retirement Community in Racine.

A sincere and heartfelt thank you to the Hospice Alliance team, beloved Regina, Beth and Connie, and the entire staff at Primrose for your loving, compassionate care of Fran.

In lieu of flowers, you can honor Fran through memorials to Hospice Alliance (hospicealliance.org) or St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church ( www.stpaulracine.org ).

Service Details

In celebration of Fran's life, a Mass will be held at  St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 6400 Spring St., Racine on Tuesday, June 30 at 11am.  Relatives and friends may meet with the family Tuesday at the church from 9:30-11 am.  Interment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, 5600 Holy Cross Road in Racine.

Order Flowers from Family Selected Florists