Kay L. (Baur) Freeman, 84 years young, passed away surrounded by her family on January 29, 2026, following a short illness. Kay was born August 1, 1941, in Fond du Lac as the only child to Aloysius and Noreen Baur. She graduated from Appleton High School in 1959 and enjoyed many reunions with her cherished classmates. Kay met Reg, the true love of her life, on the ski slopes of Mosquito Hill in New London. Their romance led to marriage in 1961 and together they built their family home in Neenah.

They welcomed their daughter, Lori, in 1963 and their son, Brian, in 1965. More blessings followed, including building a cabin in Rhinelander where the family snowshoed and snowmobiled and enjoyed yearly camping and skiing trips that created countless treasured memories.

In 1985, Kay and Reg moved to their riverside condo in Winneconne, always on the hunt for a bigger and faster boat to enjoy time on the water with friends – cue the “Miami Vice” theme music. They remained very close to their boating friends, even after Reg’s health declined.

Kay loved being busy. She enjoyed monthly book club, weekly Mahjong, the Winneconne women’s group, working the polls, and serving on her class reunion committee—truly any activity that included good company, a cocktail, and plenty of laughter. Kay excelled as a real estate broker, qualifying for numerous trips through her Coldwell Banker sales achievements. She and Reg were always the life of the party and they formed many lifelong friendships.

In addition to being Reg’s adoring wife, Kay’s favorite role was being Granny to Shanna (Matt) Valaskey, Jake (Chelsy) Baldauf, Grant Freeman, and Mason Freeman, and GG “Great Granny” to Evelyn Kay Valaskey and Lenna Baldauf, who will soon be welcoming a baby sister. She was an amazing mother and incredible role model to Lori (Brian) Baldauf and Brian (Cathy Spoehr) Freeman.

Kay adored the family furbabies and was especially grateful for the time she spent with Dougie during visits over the last couple of years.

Kay was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Reg, in 2023 and her son, Brian, in 2024. She felt the heartache of these devastating losses every day since and was determined to live her life as they would have wanted her to—fully and joyfully. Kay is survived by Reg’s siblings Rick, Roger, Steve and Cynthia; dear cousins Russ, Vickie, Gail and others; and countless friends who will deeply miss her spunky, fun-loving, positive spirit, even in the face of adversity.

A celebration of Kay’s life will be held at Mueller Funeral Home in Winneconne on Monday, February 9, 2026, visitation beginning at 1:00 p.m. with time to share memories starting at 2:00p.m. 

Memorials may be directed to the Robert Wachter Cancer Center at Mercy Hospital in Oshkosh, where Kay courageously faced her brief battle with ovarian cancer. She liked to tease that chemo days were her version of a spa – wrapped in warmth, care and constant attention from the wonderful nurses. The Mercy nursing staff, along with the Compassus Hospice team, showed extraordinary compassion in caring for Kay and her family.

She truly lived a blessed life and was very grateful for every moment of time spent with her family and will be forever loved and remembered.

Give ‘er Yukabuski!