Agnes M. Benz

Agnes (Aggie) M. Benz, Green Bay, passed away peacefully Friday night, July 4, 2025, with her daughter, Darlene Peronto, and great granddaughter, Bobbie Jo Wilkins, at her side. She was 101 years old. Aggie was born in the town of Glenmore on November 9, 1923, to Stanley and Edna (Terrien) Grusznski. She worked on the farm and cared for her younger siblings for her first fourteen years, then reduced her time there when she began to study the piano.

Agnes was a life-long musician: she started with piano lessons at 14, then switched to the accordion at 15. In 1940, she was part of a trio, with her brother Bob on drums, for a couple of years. From 1943-1951, she played local taverns, clubs, and hotel banquets as a solo act.

In 1951, a member of Cousin Fuzzy and His Cousins noticed her and informed her that they were looking for an accordion player. They invited her to audition at WBAY in the Bellin Building and immediately hired her. Throughout the year, the band played three-nights a week on the radio, as well as the usual hotel banquets and ballrooms, at one point performing sixty straight days. Agnes was well known during this time, and since, as Cousin Aggie.

In 1952, the band moved from radio to television at WBAY, under the sponsorship of H.C. Prange Co., and became the first prime time television act in Wisconsin, playing every Tuesday night for five years. In addition, the band performed twenty-six Monday night televised shows in Eau Claire and twenty-six Saturday noon shows in Rockford, Illinois. The band was on the road six nights a week for twelve years. Their last television appearance was in 1957.

In 1965, Aggie owned a bar on Main Street called Aggie’s Bar, which is now B.B.’s on Main. Between 1967 and 1989, Aggie performed solo and with groups such as Aggie and the Polka Jets, Roger Meikle and the Bay Musicians, and the Ron Gillis Orchestra.

In the 90s, Aggie continued solo and guesting with local bands. Her favorite venues were the Seymour Hamburger Parade, Williquette’s Bar in Seymour, and family events, especially birthday parties.

Aggie worked as a musician, a bartender/owner, a cleaner at St. Willebrord Catholic Church and local office buildings, and as a scheduler for the Salvation Army, where she retired at the age of 90. Her lifelong role, however, was caring for family and friends. Aggie sacrificed her passion and career to live with her daughter, Diane, raising four boys from infancy to adulthood. During this time, she took in an infant great granddaughter for four years, as well. She was self-less, strong, and a life-saver for all five.

In 1997, the friends and patrons of the Slovan Country Inn honored Aggie with a Distinguished Musician Award for her 57 years of musical contributions; in 2003, Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt presented a proclamation to Aggie at her 80th birthday party, declaring her birthday “Cousin Aggie Day” and then presented her with a key to the city; in 2011, the Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame inducted her and held a banquet in her honor, where she was joined by family and friends.

Aggie has been the subject of many newspaper articles throughout the years and in 2020, Shawn Connelly, grandson of Aggie’s bandmate, Bob Connelly, featured her in a documentary about the band as its last surviving member. She was a member of the NEW Accordion Club. Aggie absolutely loved corresponding with former accordion students and fans, whether by phone, letter, or in person, up until she passed. And,... she loved the Packers: whenever the Packers scored, Aggie would shake her stuffed Packers Bear and call for a round of shots of Vermox.

Aggie is survived by her daughter, Darlene Peronto, her grandchildren Carla Price (Charles Baca), Cindy Turrittin (Roddy Pierquet), Christine Tenor (Jim), Connie Rouse, Cathy Stevens (Marty), Curt Peronto (Melanie), James Corpus (Beverly and former, Lonnie), John Corpus (Kelly Schumacher), Victor Corpus (Cheri), and Michael Corpus (Tina), as well as twenty great grandchildren, thirty-five great great grandchildren, and two great great great grandchildren. She was most proud of serving as the Matriarch of two six-generations lines.

She is further survived by her sister, Kathleen Dworak, brothers in-law Leo Heim, Jerome Watzka, and Francis Cavanaugh, and sisters in-law Mary Grusznski and Marie Grusznski.

Aggie was preceded in death by her parents, Stanley and Edna (Terrien) Grusznski; daughter, Diane Corpus; son in-law, Harvey Peronto; great granddaughter Carrie Ninham; brothers, Robert, Joe, Al, Ray, Clarence and Patrick Grusznski; sisters, Arlene Heim, Mary Watzka, and Evelyn Stetson; sisters in-law, Rita, Elsie, and Marcella Grusznski; and brother-in-law, Bernard Dworak.

Visitation is at Newcomer Funeral Home at 340 S. Monroe Avenue, Green Bay, from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM on Sunday, July 13, 2025. Family will host an additional visitation Monday, June 14, 9:30 AM, at St. Philip the Apostle Church, 312 Victoria St, Green Bay, with Mass at 11:00 AM. Interment will follow at Allouez Catholic Cemetery and Chapel Mausoleum for immediate family, only.

The family extends a special thank you to the entire staff of AseraCare Hospice for their compassionate care.

Thank you to her regular caregivers, Vicky, Baillie, Zaria, and Mya. Also, thank you to Curt, Chad, and Wyatt for always helping Aggie with her projects around the house.