Nettie Kingsley

Nettie J. Kingsley "Neesho Maniwinga", age 81, of Wisconsin Rapids passed away Wednesday, October 7, 2026 in Black River Falls, WI.
Services will be at 12:00 Noon on Saturday, October 10, 2026 at Herman-Taylor Funeral Home, 2201 Chestnut Street, Wisconsin Rapids. Burial will be at Dexterville Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9:00 A.M. until the time of services on Saturday at the funeral home.
Nettie June Kingsley was born in the Indian Mission near Black River Falls, WI on June 13th, 1945. Her father was Amos Kingsley Sr. a World War II veteran, and mother, Dorothy Greengrass, a lifelong resident of Jackson County. Nettie was raised in Cranmoor, Wisconsin by her uncle Ed Lincoln and aunt Mabel (Kingsley) with her brother Amos Jr., and sister Betty. She graduated from Port Edwards High School receiving a National Honor Society Award for academic excellence. After graduation she went to trade school in Milwaukee for bookkeeping and accounting. While in Milwaukee she met Rodney Wilber and had four children, Veronica, Lisa, Christine and Ron. Before returning to Cranmoor she met and married Ray Steidl, having her youngest daughter Ashley.
Using her education and training in finance she worked for three paper mills and the local utility company. Nettie would later devote her career to working for the HоChunk Nation. She held many prominent positions with the tribe, growing with them as they grew. Beginning as a bookkeeper she worked in the different early enterprises of the Wisconsin Winnebago Business Committee, which would become the Hо-Chunk Nation. Working in bingo in Wisconsin Dells and then the casino in Nekoosa, Nettie held many crucial positions in management for the Nation.
Being fluent in the Ho-Chunk language, Nettie learned English as a second-language in her youth so she could attend school. Being raised by Ed and Mabel provided her with a knowledge of the many stories and traditions of her tribe. She started her final career move as a Historical Researcher working with elders, historians, State agencies and other tribes and groups to preserve Ho-Chunk history. This would lead to the position she would retire from as a Language Teacher for the Tribe, teaching Ho-Chunk and traditional skills like beading, cooking, dressmaking and applique work.
Preceeding her in passing were parents Amos Sr. and Dorothy, brothers Amos Jr. and Jerry Greengrass, husband Raymond, granddaughter Jamie and grandson Edmund, husband Ermon, and sister Jovita Orozco.
She left behind her beloved older sister Betty Kingsley and niece Ava (Ron) Radcliff DePriest. brother Ritchie Brown, sister Laverda Richter; her daughters Veronica (Mike) Smith, Lisa (Jeff) Harrison, Christine (Dean) Brown, Ashley (Dave) Natysin, and son Ron (Pam) Wilber. Grandchildren Shelena, Dean Jr. Dustin, Christine, Alex, Curtis, Fawn, Mary, Jameson, Raymond, Sarah, Anthony, Christian, Katelyn, and Madison, all shared their love for their Gaga with her many great-grandchildren.