Florence Payne, longtime resident of Rhinelander, WI, passed away May 27, 2021 at the age of 83.
On January 17, 1938, Florence Beatrice Theim was born to parents Elmer & Florence (Couture) Theim in Manchester, New Hampshire. Florence was the only surviving triplet and grew up a single child. As a girl, she was a talented roller skater and was active in local competitions.
Florence met the love of her life, Gerald “Jerry” Payne, while he was stationed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. On March 11, 1961, Jerry & Flo exchanged wedding vows. The couple moved back to Wisconsin. Flo had been a city girl up to this point, but she adapted quickly. She learned to drive and made many wonderful friends in Rhinelander. Florence & Jerry’s marriage was blessed with a daughter, Tina.
As a family, the Payne’s enjoyed long weekend trips though out the Midwest. They loved one and two week family road trips to various destinations in the US and Canada. They enjoyed snowmobiling in the winter.
During her working years, Flo was a customer service rep for Estabrooks Insurance agency for nearly 20 years. In retirement, she and Jerry enjoyed wintering in Arizona. They also liked gambling and took frequent trips to casinos in WI and MN.
For fun, Flo enjoyed cross-stitching, bowling and knitting. She was very energetic and always active. Flo loved cheering on the Green Bay Packers and never missed watching a game. She enjoyed spending many summers with her friends attending the Hodag Country Fest. Flo was also an avid cribbage player.
Florence was a wonderful wife, mother & grandma. She will be missed by her daughter; Tina (Eric) Pratt; grandchildren; Cameron Pratt and Samantha Pratt. Flo was greeted in Heaven by her loving husband, Jerry.
A memorial gathering will be held June 26, 2021 at 11:30am at Northland Gardens Chapel Mausoleum in Rhinelander. An open house will follow after the service until 4pm at her residence.
