Meredith M. “Hoot” Kilmerwith the cows, Raggedy Anns, and snowmen she createdShe loved books, sewing, and caramel sundaes...
Meredith M. “Hoot” Kilmer never sweated over small stuff—like her age. She routinely knocked a few years off and celebrated her 89th birthday six years in a row. Perhaps, this flexibility with time began when she married Jay Donald Kilmer, who insisted his bride must be 18. She was 17.
Meredith hit Don in the back with a snowball one evening in 1946, and he told her, “Now that I have found you, I will never let you go.” She said she was 18, and so they were married on March 27, 1947, at the Presbyterian Church in Mauston. A few years later, they moved to McFarland when Robt. J. Nickles, Inc. hired Don; he eventually became a partner.
They raised their three children (Vaughn, Paulette, and Nick) in a home where hospitality, books, kindness, caring for pets, manners, and gardening mattered. Meredith was a talented cook. She could have made the living room rug taste delicious. Her strawberry jam, salmon casserole, meat balls, turkey dressing, divinity, and giant gingerbread people were family favorites. She prepared feasts for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Her sense of humor enlivened many gatherings. For example, one evening Uncle Robert and Aunty E (Elaine) Kilmer were playing cards with Don and Hoot, and the furnace needed attention. Don and Hoot cut the deck, and she lost.
“I wonder if they would know the difference if I pulled the chain, rattled around, and slammed the furnace door but did not put in any coal,” Hoot said.
“Let’s find out,” Aunty E replied.
Two hours later, Don said he was hot, and Uncle Robert suggested adjusting the damper. Upon learning the truth, Don filled the furnace, perhaps remembering when he asked Meredith for permission to call her “Hoot” because she was a “Hoot,” a lot of fun.
Hoot and Don both loved animals and the Columbia County Humane Society. They shared their home with cats and fed strays. A homeless pseudo cocker spaniel, Theodore Jay Picklenose (Teddy to his friends) followed Paulette everywhere until Don adopted him. Her science experiment turtles, X and Y, gave the whole family salmonella, but everyone wept at their funeral. Meredith befriended ground hogs, rabbits, possums, squirrels, and deer.
Meredith loved the Rolling Stones, the Goose Island Ramblers, and Ray Charles. She and Don were married 60 years. As avid Badger fans, they kept season tickets for 35 years, attending bowl games and several Rose Bowls. They traveled often and took the family to Hawaii for their 50th wedding anniversary.
Meredith ran her own sewing business for decades, selling embroidered items, dolls, and other things that she designed at many craft fairs. She served her customers lunch at her home sale every fall. She liked meeting new people and made friends with the crew at her McDonald’s in Poynette. When she walked in, the servers greeted her. Hoot enjoyed giving them advice and swapping stories as she ate her chicken sandwich and caramel sundae.
Her favorite pastime was reading, and she enjoyed going to bed early with a book.
Meredith was born on March 20, 1930, to Dena (Stanley) and Albert M. Clausius, in Richland Center, Wisconsin. After her father died, when Meredith was 11, she spent a lot of time with her Grandmother Nutter who taught her to cook and sew. Meredith passed on these skills to her granddaughter, Laura (Kilmer) Steele.
She is survived by her son, Nick (Kayla) Kilmer, and their sons, Klaus and Hans, Pardeeville; her daughter, Paulette D. Kilmer, Toledo, Ohio; granddaughter, Laura (Robert) Steele, Shorewood; great grandchildren, Meredith and Lochlan Steele; dear family friend, Steve Baumgartner, Mequon; nephews, nieces, other relatives, and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Don; her parents; her son, Vaughn; her brother, Albert M. Clausius, Jr., and her very dear friend (Laura’s mother), Vivian Baumgartner.
Her daughter, Paulette, and granddaughter, Laura, will host a celebration of life for Meredith M. “Hoot” Kilmer, who died on March 21. Her family and friends are welcome to join them on Saturday, June 20, 2026, from noon until 3 p.m. at Susie’s Steak and Seafood House, 2711 County Road CX, Portage. Instead of flowers, please donate either to the Portage Public Library or the Columbia County Humane Society.
Pflanz Mendrala Funeral Home in Portage is assisting the family.
