Rae Louise "Mud Turtle" "Ray of Sunshine" (Miller) Gatz, age 68 of Keshena, the daughter of the late Theodore and Lorraine (Turney) Miller, died on Friday January 31, 2025, in Shawano.  Rae was born June 13, 1956, in Keshena. She graduated from Shawano Highschool in 1976.  In 1980, she married Timothy Gatz on Lamotte Lake in Keshena. Rae earned her Associate's Degree in Special Education in which she devoted her entire career working with children of the Menominee community having held multiple positions within the school district for a total of 34 years with the last 11 years working solely with one individual student.  After retirement from the school district, Rae returned back to work with Menominee Tribal school for 12 more years working with special needs children. Rae was very dedicated to the staff and the students that she worked with.  Rae enjoyed gambling to include scratch off tickets and torturing her grandkids every chance she got.

Rae is survived by: her husband Timothy of 44 years, and their children Felicia Gatz, Byron (Rosemary Warrington) Gatz, and Lindsey (Todd-Michael Tucker) Gatz; seven grandchildren, TiChanel (Maniyan) Pyawasay, Byron (Josephine James) Gatz Jr., Justin (Alexis Reif) Waupoose, Trinity Tucker, Ruth Gatz, Nina Tucker, and TeaLea Gatz; two great grandchildren, JoJo and Armani; and three sisters: Rosalyn Katchengo, Laurie (William) Waupoose, and Rebecca Robertson. She is further survived by numerous nieces and nephews, including special nephew Craig Penass.

Rae is preceded in death by her parents, brothers and sisters: Glen, Theodore Jr., Jeffrey, Kenneth Michael, Glenda Penass and special sister Marjorie Kay.

Funeral Mass for Rae will be held at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, at St. Michael Catholic Church in Keshena. Visitation will be held on Monday, February 3, 2025, at Swedberg Funeral Home in Shawano from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm and again at the church on Tuesday from noon until the time of the service.  Burial will be held at the church cemetery in the spring.

The family would like to give heartfelt thanks to ThedaCare Nursing and Respiratory staff for their care of Rae during her illness

Rae will be fondly remembered by numerous members of the community for her sense of humor and her inappropriate comments with no care in the world.