Life story Mrs. Hannagret M. Leiske, age 85, of Madison, passed away on Thursday, January 26, 2012 at Thornton Terrace in Hanover. She was born on March 21, 1926 in Bckingen, Germany, the daughter of Friedrich Jakob and Elise Therese (Vielhauer) Merkle. Mrs. Leiske immigrated to the United States in 1945 and became a U.S. citizen. She married Ralph R. Leiske on June 5, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was a homemaker and a member of Saint Peter's Lutheran Church in Arlington Heights, Illinois. She enjoyed gardening, traveling - especially trips to Hawaii - spending time at the family cabin and working on the family tree farm in Wisconsin. Survivors include two sons and daughters-in-law: Marty and Denise Leiske of Madison, and Wayne and Laurel Leiske of Flower Mound, Texas; one daughter and son-in-law: Lynn and Ward Kopp of Greendale, Wisconsin; five grandchildren: Lisa Bell, Annette Leiske, Patti Leiske, Josh Kopp and Sarah Kopp; one niece, Barbara Vlasak; and two nephews, Gary Wesel and Brian Borgh. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Ralph on July 25, 1981, and one sister, Anneliese Wesel. Funeral services will be conducted privately at the Gallagher Funeral Home in Oconto, Wisconsin, with burial in the Evergreen Cemetery in Oconto. The family requests memorial contributions be made to the American Red Cross. Memorial envelopes are available at the Lytle Funeral Chapel, which is in charge of local arrangements. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Hannagret M. (Merkle) Leiske, please visit our floral store.