Adeline Lorraine Hesselink, age 97, lifelong Baldwin resident died peacefully Friday February 12, 2021 at the Baldwin Care Center. Adeline was born on October 15, 1923 in Baldwin; the daughter of John and Jeanette (Wikkerink) Fern. She attended 3 Willow and East Baldwin schools while growing up.  Even as a young girl her industrious spirit was evident as she found work cleaning homes to help with family expenses.  On March 26, 1943, she was united in marriage to her best friend and soul mate Warren Hesselink at the Reformed Church in Milwaukee. This union would be blessed with two sons; Jerry and Larry.  Through her grocery store clerk jobs and bookkeeper role at the Baldwin Farmer Co Op Elevator, she proudly helped provide for her family.  Adeline was also a through and through homemaker. She loved family gatherings and holiday meals. Having a hobby farm of sorts gave her some great vegetable gardens. For whatever reason, the vegetables always seemed better coming out of Adeline’s garden. She and Warren raised apple trees and if you were lucky enough, you might get a pail of them or her prized baked apples.  Besides helping Warren create willow furniture and other duties on the farm, she especially loved riding her lawn tractor and mowing their large yard.  Being married to an outdoorsman, she quickly mastered fishing with the ‘guys’ and loved it. She thoroughly enjoyed their trips to the Canadian waters and the fish fries that followed. Later, she loved time spent ‘demoing’ at Nelson’s/Nillsen’s Grocery stores. Toots Holle, Shirley Rademacher and Adeline had so much fun giving out samples at the grocery store that they felt bad they got paid for it.

Adeline is survived by her son Jerry (Margaret) Hesselink, daughter-in-law Faith Hesselink; daughter-in-heart Ruth Brenne, grandchildren Todd (Mark) Hesselink, Tara (Chris) Crotteau, Andrew (Elizabeth) Hesselink, Nick Hesselink; daughter-in-heart Faye Luepke; brother Robert (Arlene) Fern; sister Sylvia Eckl; as well as many other relatives and friends. She joins the chorus in Heaven which includes her husband Warren; son Larry Hesselink; siblings an infant brother John Fern, Marjorie Stork, Harold Fern; infant brother Phillip; brother-in-law William Eckl; and son-in-heart Carl Luepke.

Funeral service will be 4pm on Wednesday February 17th at First Reformed Church in Baldwin with Pastor Tim Sluiter officiating. THIS WILL BE LIVE STREAMED; CLICK HERE. Burial will be in the Baldwin Cemetery with her grandchildren serving as casket bearers.Visitation for Adeline will be from 3-5pm on Tuesday February 16th at the O’Connell Family Funeral Home in Baldwin. Memorials in her memory may be sent to O’Connell’s in Baldwin at 1010 Newton Street, Baldwin, WI 54002 who were gifted to provide her funeral service.