Ramona "Monie" Kirkland

Ramona “Monie” Mary (Wickesberg) Kirkland, age 85 of Appleton, WI passed away on January 20, 2025. She was born to Herbert and Lucille (Reed) Wickesberg on September 6, 1939 in Appleton, WI. After graduating high school, she married Kenneth Kirkland and together, they raised a daughter, Julieann Kirkland. After Kenneth had passed, Monie held down several jobs to continue raising her daughter alone and later helped her daughter in raising her grandson, Jamie Kirkland.

If anything could be said of Monie, it was that she was endlessly full of love and compassion for the world around her. She was a wonderful caregiver and a motherly figure to anyone who wandered under her reach. Her daughter, Julieann, helped Monie run a daycare called “Monie's Zoo” for over 30 years and more often than not, the children would be excited to be there. In her later years, you could often find Monie watching Jeopardy and tallying her own score to see how she’d do against the other contestants and her daughter Julieann. More than anything though, Ramona loved her family and cherished every moment she could with everyone who called her mom, G’ma (Grandma), G-G’ma (Great-Grandma), Aunt Monie, Sister, and Friend. She touched so many hearts including her great-grandchildren Rayven and Zyon (Z)!

Ramona will be deeply missed by her daughter, Julieann; her grandson, Jamie; her great-granddaughter, Rayven; her great-grandson, Zyon (Z); her sisters, Lucy Schoen and Susan Chapman; her brothers, Joseph Wickesberg and Patrick Wickesberg; all her immediate family; and an abundant number of friends. 

Ramona is preceded in death by her parents Herbert and Lucille Wickesberg; and her sister, Carol Schoen. 

A memorial service will be held for Ramona on Saturday, February 15, 2025 at 11:00 AM at St. Mary Catholic Church, 312 S. State St, Appleton, WI 54911.  

Monie’s family would like to extend a very special thanks to all the nurses, doctors, and other supporting staff at ThedaCare Regional Hospital, ThedaCare at Home Hospice, and Cherry Meadows for all their care and compassion shown during Monie’s time of need.

Donations for the memorial can be made to gofund.me/02101231