Katherine Eva (Malz) Vignieri

Katherine Eva (nee Malz) Vignieri, a resident of Kenosha from 1960 to 2015, went to rest in eternal peace on September 17th, 2026, surrounded by loving family and compassionate caregivers at the care residence in Mukwonago, Wisconsin she had called home since April. 

She was born April 8th, 1939, in Chicago to Nicholas and Eva Malz who provided her an exceptional childhood.  Her parents immigrated to Chicago in the early twentieth century from their war-torn homelands in Hungary and Germany. 

She was nurtured with a rich immigrant culture and the communal support of extended family.  When she was young, Katherine experienced the richness of life in a big city and the joy of German social clubs. 

Katherine attended Chicago public schools and graduated high school from Mount Saint Mary’s Catholic Academy in St. Charles, Illinois where she studied opera and swam competitively.  She attended Marquette University in Milwaukee and Mundelein College in Chicago.

Katherine was a deeply spiritual person and devoted Catholic who lived her faith.  She represented love and compassion and projected these with a warm and kind demeanor.  She modeled empathy and tolerance of people different from her, especially the marginalized or those in need. She embraced diversity. 

Katherine had a life filled with extraordinary experiences, but her magnum opus was her family and the love and care she provided them.  She was devoted to her three children and three grandchildren whom she loved with all her heart and showed great concern for their welfare.

She relished the roles of care provider, nurturer and cheerleader.  She offered them her undivided attention and had an encyclopedic memory of their accomplishments. She also provided much comfort and encouragement when they were struggling or in pain.

Katherine and her husband Frank shared a love of horses.  They met as teenagers during a chance encounter while trail riding in Union Grove. From that moment began a love affair that blessed them with three children and sustained a 51-year marriage bonded with care and respect.  It also sowed a passion for raising and showing horses that lasted the entirety of their married life.

Resiliency and grit defined Katherine’s spirit.  She survived multiple health challenges over her lifetime yet bounced back each time with tenacity and a zeal for life. 

Katherine’s family owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the medical community of Wisconsin for excellent care that saved her life numerous times.  They are also grateful to the caregiving community, the unsung heroes of our society, who ministered to her and her special needs granddaughter with grace and compassion. 

She is survived by brother Carl of Jacksonville, Florida; three children, Frank N. (and spouse Lisa) Vignieri of Naperville, Illinois; Eva (and spouse Chris) of Phoenix, Arizona and Jenifer (and spouse Dan) of Waterford, Wisconsin; three grandchildren, Amelia and Amber Vignieri and Elizabeth Laurenzi.

Katherine was preceded in death by her cherished husband Frank S. Vignieri who was born in Kenosha. 

Her life and homegoing were celebrated during a visitation and funeral mass held on September 28th at St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic Church in Kenosha.  Interment followed at All Saints Cemetery and Mausoleum in Pleasant Prairie.  

Memorial gifts in honor of Katherine can be made to the following organizations:

The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers

Frank S. Vignieri Fund for Cardiac Regenerative Medicine Research

Casey Family Options Funerals & Cremations

3016 75^th Street Kenosha WI 53142

262-653-0667

www.caseyfamilyoptions.com