Memories of Mom for Mother’s Day 2020

She was always so excited to see us when we came to visit, wrapping us in hugs and kisses! I can still hear her say, “Hi babe!” Deb Worachek Dad was out entertaining his boss with others from his office. His boss mentioned he always loved Mom’s homemade cinnamon rolls and asked if he could have some during his visit to town. Dad left the table to call Mom (no cell phones back then) returning a little later. His boss was sure Mom would yell at Dad, as it was already 10 o’clock at night. Dad told him he didn’t speak to Mom, as she was at a neighbor’s house, but left the request with one of us kids. His boss just laughed. Dad brought freshly made cinnamon rolls to work the next day, and his boss about fell over. He knew Mom made the rolls from scratch, and with yeast rolls, it took a couple hours just for letting them rise! When we asked Mom why she stayed up so late making the rolls, she simply said Dad didn’t ask for much from her, and she thought he must have had a good reason asking for the rolls the night before. My folks celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary last month. Deb Dedman

My Mom, Mary Z Comerford, was 96 and in the hospital. Mom was just a few weeks from passing. I was spending the night in her room because she wasn't doing very well. Sometime in the middle of the night I heard Mom stirring and asked her if she needed anything. She said she would like some water. After she drank it and I was walking back to the couch I heard her singing, "It's so nice to have a man around the house" It's an old song that younger generations won't know. Even this close to death she still had a sense of humor. The morning Mom passed, everyone but my brother Jim had left the room to let people know she was gone. Jim came down later and told us what had happened while he was waiting for Mom to be taken. He said the window was blown open, the wind whistled round the room went out and the window closed. One theory was it was the Holy Ghost, the other was it was our brother Dan, our sister Connie and our Dad, who all had passed before Mom, had come to take her to heaven. Bill Comerford My Mom, Virginia Hottinger, was an exceptional knitter. She knit me many sweaters, vests + afghans that I treasure to this day. They are stored in a cedar chest built by my Dad, Richard. I had very crafty parents. Ingrid Wolf My mom was a mother of seven children. Though she had all these kids she always found time for all of us. I remember her saying to me all the time that God sent me down from heaven for her to love. She taught us how to love God and each other. Mom was a most sharing and caring person. She put everyone ahead of herself. My mother was Lois Krueger a life-long member of Saint Joseph Church. Mom was the best mom we could ever have asked for. We were all blessed to have her for our mother. Jim W Krueger

My mom had the ability to make our home the place everyone wanted to be. Mom loved to tend to the outdoors and we were always greeted by her fragrant gardens that were filled with a variety of colorful blooms and singing birds. Her house was warm and inviting and smelled of home-cooked dinners, fresh linens and the soft perfume in her hand lotion. It was a much simpler time and family and prayer was the center of our family. The best gifts my mom gave me were the gifts of faith, gratitude and acceptance. Annette Hovie My mother always liked to sit around a bonfire and listen to the stories being told or even sharing some of her own. There was ways love and laughter and a good time shared with her. Blessings Mary Stern For many years we were given a little yellow duckling at Easter that was kept in the house until grown, then was put in the yard and kept as a pet the rest of the summer. It imprinted on us and would follow us at a safe distance. If we chased it we could catch it and keep it on our laps where it would quack contentedly. I still think fondly of those years of having an Easter duck around the yard. Every fall the duck would disappear - no great loss as a child back in school and busy. One year mom really showed her stuff rescuing that duck though. We lived in Minneapolis, it was around 1950. I disliked napping at age 4 - but it was insisted on by mom, who had a 2 yr. old and a newborn as well. So I lay on my bed in a darkened bedroom. I heard a commotion in the back yard. I brought up the blind to see Mom, a big dog, and the duck. I can see it now. The duck was backed into a corner, wings spread wide, quacking loudly. It was cornered by that big strange dog. Just behind the dog was my mother, wearing a bathrobe, arm held high, wielding a black frying pan, about to take a swing at the dog. The vignette stops there. Mom was there. Moms are weird. The duck was going to be fine. I dropped the shade and returned to my bed. The event was never discussed. The memory has made me laugh for all my adult life. Vicki Rotzel

It was 9 pm and I went to tell my mom how sad I was because I did not have a green dress to wear for St. Patrick's Day at school the next day. The stores had just closed and there was no time to go shopping for one. When I woke up the next day, I discovered my mom had looked through her material and stayed up to make a green dress for me. I was blessed with a wonderful mother. Robin Munger Carol Heid is my mother and she is one of the most caring and helpful people I know. She is always doing something for someone like sewing handmade masks for all of our family, Heid Music employees and friends. Thank you Mom for loving all of us. Kim Mantey Rita M. (Emmers) Brock loving mother of Carol (Brock) Van Lieshout

My mother suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and when visiting her, some days were better than others. Bonanza happened to come on the television during my visit one day and as they were introducing the four main cast members, mom made the comment, “They never seem to age!” While agreeing with her observation I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself.

Now, when I am listening to the radio and the theme song for Bonanza is played, I know mom is not far away. Carol Van Lieshout

Here is my recent memory of Mom. May 2017

There were 8 of us kids. Mom spent most of her life loving (and worrying) about us long after adulthood. I couldn't be with Mom in her last weeks alive, but I called Mom at the hospital until cancer went to her brain and no longer spoke. I would call the nighttime nurse to see if she was sleeping okay. One night he said all of a sudden Mom spoke to him and said how proud she was of each of her 8 kids! And yes, it was Mother's Day! So despite all the pain she was feeling and all the morphine to cover it, Mom was still a Mom all the way to the end. I write this with loving tears. Dawn Petrie Hi! So many memories of mom! She was the kindest most caring person, always had a nice word to say to everyone! Her favorite saying....”it’s nice to be nice”! She loved to dance, & was in a line dancing group for over 25 years....into her late 80’s. The group performed & marched in parades all over the Albany, NY area where she lived. Always put her family first. Love & miss you Mom! Thank you! Cindy O’Leary

My Mother...

My mother Eileen Parent was the first child born to Kathryn and Amble Parent in Somerset, Wisconsin. She was the oldest of eight siblings. She graduated the first in her high school class in 1934. She went on to study at a normal school to become a teacher. She taught for two years in a one room rural school. She met my father, Wilfred Rivard, who she married on June 9, 1936. Since, at that time married women had to put their teaching career on hold, she devoted her life to raising a family of seven (I'm the oldest of three younger sisters and three younger brothers). She was a good sport about moving. We lived in Somerset, then moved to New Richmond and finally to Rice Lake. Because she was quite shy and reserved, it was difficult to meet new people. Dad, the outgoing one helped her in that area. As the years progress, she came out of her shell.

Mom loved to sew and made all of our clothes. I would watch her sew. One day when I as eight years old, I thought I can sew - I got up to the sewing machine and proceeded to run the needle through my thumb. Mom then taught me to sew. In her later years, I would sew for her. Mom didn't care to cook as much as sew, so she let me cook for the family at a young age.

Mom had beautiful black curly hair. (I was the only one in our family that had straight hair) So when I was very young she took me to Minneapolis to have my hair permed.

She had sixteen grandchildren that she loved dearly. She would often tell them stories about her life.

My father died in 1980. Mom was lost without him and went into a depression. Her doctor encouraged her to get involved at church and in the community. She led a Bible Study in her home for years. She went to a local nursing home in Rice Lake and led the rosary for the patients. She went on a tour to the Holy Land. Mom lived alone for the next thirty years, and then her ability to take care of herself waned. She no longer cooked and slept on the couch for most of the day. As a family, we decide that the nursing home would be the best place for her to live. (Most of us lived out of Rice Lake; we knew that she needed to be by her friends.)

The nursing home was her home for a little over five years. When she got used to it, she loved it. She went to "Stir and Snack", "Arts and Crafts" and a music sing-along. She played scrabble with her ninety-seven year old friend, Dorothy, every day.

Her kidneys began to give out and she was put on dialysis. Her body couldn't take it anymore and she passed away at the age of ninety-six in 2010. We miss our mother and have many good memories of her.

Thank You, Mom! Karin (Rivard) Posdal My mom passed in 1996 after a 5 year battle with cancer that had metastasized with 3 inoperable brain tumors. Radiation was suggested with only 10% chance of shrinkage. Six months later the tumors were gone with no medical explanation. A miracle?

During her illness her faith never faltered. Her strength and trust in the Lord was amazing!!! Sue Weber There are so many memories my mom left with me. Her humor in stories about the family, her caring and loving heart, her cooking was the best. It was all about family both immediate and extended. EVERYONE loved her. Miss you mom, so much. Mary Ann Strobl Growing up our mom, Mary Ann Stoeger, would painstakingly dig up all the geraniums in the yard and bring them in for the winter to replant the following spring. Our dad provided lighting and shelving to accommodate her hobby and love of flowers. Each Mother's Day we now bring her a geranium to enjoy! Mary Jo Stoeger

My mother, Jackie (McCall) Drexler was an intelligent, insightful, wise and witty woman. She raised 12 children and she encouraged me to go away to college which I did and became an RN. I was in awe of her patience and game playing skills, whether scrabble or cards.

She had many friends connected with St. Joseph Parish, including Tottie Oudenhoven and Joannie Milhaupht, Midge Schweitzer, Willie Barta, Elaine Siegrist, Mrs. Hill and more ladies. She counted the tithe monies on Monday with some of these ladies for years. Julie (Drexler) Zimpel Thank you for the wonderful way we can acknowledge our moms! My mother was a beautiful woman both physically and spiritually. She did not have many worldly possessions, but she possessed a heart so full of love and kindness. My brothers, sisters and I always felt so loved. She and my dad provided for us so well, that I didn't realize till later in life that we were actually quite poor. Her short life, she died at 58, was a true example of the perfect woman and mother. I love you mom, thanks for always watching over us, while you were here with us and then from heaven. Mary Ellen Eggert came in her “work” clothes and helped around the house so that I could take care of the baby! It was special to see her meet her very first grandchild back in 1991. The first words out of her mouth were…”Oh she looks just like you David!” I thought, hey what about me??? I did all the work!!!! It was special when she met all the kids after they were born. We were in the Air Force so she had to travel to wherever we were living. When I was pregnant with our first child, she gave me the book, Love You Forever. I cherish that book because Mom wrote in there about a mother’s love for her child and about the love that God has for us. Mom taught me all I know about being a good mom. It is the hardest job there is, but a job I would not trade for the world! Thanks Mom for showing me what a good mom is!! I love you! Margaret Jensen Holidays were always full of traditions with my Mom. Christmas and Easter included family and friends around the dining room table, all kinds of unique baked goods, a feast of foods and a new outfit to wear to church. As kids, we loved preparing weeks ahead of time for an upcoming holiday. Spending quality time with Mom made it memorable. Rosemarie & Kevin Dick

My mother, Emma (Micky) Steffanus, was the hard-working wife of a hard-working farmer. She hated the name "Emma" and went by her nickname Mick or Micky.

She always found ways to celebrate holidays such as Halloween, St. Patrick's Day or Valentine's Day. Usually this meant she baked something special - appropriately-frosted cutout cookies, or made green Jello for St. Patty's Day. One Halloween she constructed witches, using doughnut holes which she'd made, toothpicks in tripod fashion and black crepe paper for their robes. I can't remember all the details, but I remember her taking the time to do this, and sharing the fun of the construction with me. Our life was pretty basic. The farm and the cows had to come first. But she was able to instill fun and creativity for special occasions. Barbara Steffanus Germiat One of my favorite memories of my mom, Doris Filz, is from my grade school days. We lived a distance away from St. Joseph School, so on many winter days it was an uncomfortable and long walk home. On those cold and blustery days, Mom would greet me with warm butter-cinnamon coffee cake that she had just taken out of the oven. I will always remember seeing her beautiful, smiling face and smelling the sweet treat that she had waiting for me. The winter walk was well worth the homecoming! Happy Heavenly Mother’s Day, Mom! Becky Filz Thiel My mom was a nurse both at work and home. I have strong memories knowing she would always be there to take care of me no matter what kind of injury I got while playing outside. AND my mom always kept the cookie drawer (yes, you read that right, an entire kitchen drawer) full! All my friends were in awe of that drawer! I love you mom! Michael Fafinski

My mom had 7 children, I was the eldest. She always made each of us feel special. Even though she was doing laundry, cleaning and cooking all day she still found time to play, teach and love us. I wanted to be just like her. Victoria Martin My mom passed away 2 years ago. She was a very value based lady. She taught me to value my faith and always set a good example for her children. Sometimes she took this to an extreme. She always told us to tell the truth even if the truth was difficult to tell. My Dad was a big strong man and he watched his pennies quite closely. My mother was a stay at home mom. My mom and dad did lots of motorcycling on a Honda Goldwing motorcycle. They were avid motorcyclists. They put on between 25,000 and 30,000 miles every year from 1983 until 2012. Part of putting on so many miles was to start riding in very early spring as soon as the roads were free of road salt. On one early spring day they were in riding in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. My Dad always drove the motorcycle and my mom rode on the back. Dad was known to push the speed limit at times as he was doing on this ride. As they rounded a wide sweeping corner on the highway a Michigan State Trooper had his radar set up there and stopped my parents for riding too fast. When he walked up to them my Dad gave the Trooper his license. The Trooper then said to my Dad “I had you going 64 mph in a 55 mph zone. Can you tell me what is so important that you would be going so fast and risk finding a Michigan State Trooper like me with a radar gun?”. My Dad told him “Officer, I was going a little fast but we are out in a rural area and my wife was very cold and it was getting quite urgent as she has to get a restroom badly. I was hustling so she didn’t have an accident.”. My mother then quickly chimed in “Oh, No Karl! I’m still warm and I don’t have to go to the bathroom!”. My Dad scowled at her and the State Trooper walked away laughing and said “That is the funniest thing I have ever witnessed! Slow down and have a great day!”. He laughed all the while walking back to his patrol car. My Dad said “Why would you say such a thing?!?!”. She said “You should always be honest and you see – if you are honest good things happen!”. My Dad shook his head in amazement every time that story was told.

I miss my mom a lot and I am sure she is in heaven! Dave Sachs

My mom, Ruth Fafinski, has taught my siblings and me the importance of writing thank you cards. My mom always said, "Everyone likes to get a little mail every once in a while." Nowadays, many thank you notes are sent through texts or emails, but I still purchase thank you cards to send out in the mail. This is an etiquette that I have passed onto my kids as well. The time that it takes to write a thank you card does not go unnoticed by the receiver--it is appreciated, and it adds a nice personal touch. My mom's thank you cards are always sent promptly and with beautiful penmanship; she always thinks of others and acknowledges them in a meaningful way. If I can do this half as well as she does, then I'd consider that an accomplishment. So, here's a thank you, Mom. I love you! Sarah My mom is always so caring and always does the most for everyone. My favorite memory of us is going on a 20+ hour bus ride to Florida and getting to go to the sunshine state with her and bond. We always have so much to talk about and her acts of kindness never go unnoticed I love you Kali Beyersdorf My mom, Sheila Gloede, is my best friend. She is always there for me to talk to or to hang with and she "gets me". We enjoy spending time together, along with my family and during this time, it has been very difficult not being able to visit. One special memory I have that we actually just reminisced about recently is my Tweety Bird blanket. When I graduated high school (a very long time ago), she made me a Tweety blanket that I still have. I use it at soccer games and when I curl up on the couch. It is so special to me. Since then, she has made each of my kids special blankets when they were born. I love the bond we share and want to wish her the Happiest of Mother's Days. When we can get together again, we are having shish-ka-bobs and corn on the cob on the grill! Happy Mother's Day, Mom and I love you! Your daughter, Kelly Beyersdorf

One of my favorite memories is when my Mom surprised me by filling my room with

balloons! And she gives the best hugs! - Kaden

One of my favorite memories with my Mom is when we went to Myrtle Beach and we wanted to go in the ocean

so badly! But... We didn’t have our swimsuits on, so we ran in being fully clothed. -Kami Back in 2002 the whole family took a trip to Disney World. One of the days we decided to skip the parks and my Mom, Dad, Wife and myself got up really early in the morning and drove to Crystal River Florida to swim with the manatees that live there. My mom is not a big fan of the water or a great swimmer but she was determined to do this. We arrived at our destination and it was still dark and quite cool. We all got fitted for wetsuits, fins, masks and snorkels and headed out on the boat to find the manatees. My mom got in the water and held on to me as we snorkeled around. We found quite a few manatees that day and had some great interactions with them, we even saw some young ones being nursed. The manatees loved the attention and would swim up to us and roll over so we could rub their stomachs. My mom became more comfortable in the water and soon she was off on her own. My mom did great in the water, and everyone had fun and a wonderful experience. John C. Fafinski My mother, Katherine Liethen, nee Stoffel, passed away in 1972. I'm thinking of her a lot right now because she had told me she and her whole family had the flu in the epidemic of 1918. They had milder cases and survived, except for her older sister, Marie, who was married and expecting, she and the baby did not. I wish I could ask her more about what they did, but I imagine they stayed safe and took care of one another. Rosemarie Liethen De Bruin

My mother V. Laura Klein was a force of nature. She raised 9 children, 8 boys and 1 girl. My father was an engineer at KC and he was also studying to be a deacon (Deacon Paul Klein) and was ordained when I was in high school. I was #7 of 9. Both of my parents have since gone to heaven.

One of my favorite memories is this:

Many years ago, one of my older brothers lived in Alaska with his family. He came home for the 4th of July. We decided as a family (all grown up with children of our own) that we would go to watch the 4th of July fireworks in Neenah. We gathered today (a huge group of people-not social distancing as we did not know that word at that time) and went to the fireworks. The weather was cool and with a good chance of rain. We brought umbrellas and a tarp to sit on (which we used to pull over us when the rain started). As we were waiting for the fireworks to start, it started to rain. We pulled the tarp over many of us.

We asked my mother," Why are we still here?" Her response was. "We are creating memories!"

Since then, that phrase has come to us many times and it makes me smile to think of my mother saying it.

I miss her. Mary Fochs Our Mother, What we remember is her laughter. She was the most caring and loving Mother. We didn't have much growing up, but she sure did her best so we would always look nice. Another memory was when my Mother was very ill and I was there one evening and when I was about to leave, she said to call her when I got home safely. I only lived 5 blocks away. It was her way of saying I Love You. She has been gone a long time but you don't forget the very special moments and there was many. Forever a very, very Special Mother. Your Twins miss you every day. Jean Wellnitz & Joan Malloy

My dear gentle Mom, Mary Norton, a gentle soul who love her faith and Father, Son and Holy Spirit. She was visiting me and I was doing one of those family history books for my daughters. There were questions for her to ask about her life and history and when I got to the one that said, "Who is your best friend?” She immediately, without pausing answered, "Jesus, of course." And that was true in all of her life. Really impressed me and has stayed with me to this day. A good friend to have!!! Tommie Witthuhn Growing up, one thing I remember about my mother, Mary "Pink" Mullaney was that she talked to strangers. If she came within six feet of someone, there was a good chance she would engage with them. It did not matter if the person appeared to be in a good mood or seemed receptive to a sudden conversational attack, my mother moved in with her blue eyes; engaging her target with some comments and/or question. Nine times out of ten, the "stranger" seemed to enjoy the conversation, as my mother was pretty and pretty funny. Teenagers, toddlers, the elderly, policemen - it didn't matter who and the comments were not always about the weather or a compliment of their style (though that was often an opening salvo). She would also ask, with concern, if they were worried or sad about something based on their apparent disposition. As children, my siblings (six kids in six years) and I paid little attention except to say "mom can we go now?" Later on, we would say, “we’ll wait in the car." When the one to 15 minute conversation was over we'd ask, "who was that" and she'd say "a nice person who's looking for a birthday gift" or "say a prayer for him he's a poor soul" and we'd head home. Now that I'm older I can see that I've caught some of that vocal virus. And my wife, Janice, will give me the look of - "can we go now". Tim Mullaney

My favorite memory of my Mom – it’s one we laugh about even to this day.

My Mom and I were leaving with my daughters to go shopping (then 3 and 1 years old at the time) through my garage door. As background – know that my Mom is terrified of birds (from a freak babysitting incident between a bird and a cat from when she was younger). A bird literally dive bombed straight into our garage towards the door. Now, my three year old was out the door already and I with my one year old in my arms was just about to step out. So my kind and gentle, loving Mother decided the best course of action would be to push me and my youngest daughter out the door and pull it shut – therefore saving our home from a bird invasion (one bird by the way). I practically tripped on the stairs and pulled my three year old down to the ground a bit as the bird stopped and searched frantically until it realized it had to run around to vacate our garage and flew away. Of course I accused my loving mother of sacrificing her daughter and granddaughters at the time but we have had several great laughs about it since.

She is the rock of our family and although we jest; I know she loves us unconditionally and would have done anything in her power to keep us save. Love you Mom. Christine Andrews