Memorial Donor Quilts

Mountain of Memories Donor Family Quilt

Lisa Michelle Berg

Suring, Wis.
June 26, 1969 - Feb. 8, 2003

Lisa was 33 years old when she died as a result of an automobile accident. She graduated from Suring High School and married Rick Berg on April 8, 1989. Lisa was a stay-at-home mother who truly loved her three children, Caryssa, Carley and Eric. Many of her hours were spent volunteering at her church and school. As a pastime, she enjoyed crafts and being an artist. She had hoped some day of being a teacher. Her extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins were very important as were her many friends. It was Lisa's wish to have her organs donated. She will be missed by all.

- Joann DeMaster, grandmother

William E. Bradford, Sr.

Sheboygan Falls, Wis.
July 11, 1925-May 25, 2002

He was born in Leavenworth, Kansas, and settled down in Sheboygan Falls, Wis. I started this square with the letters 'WB,' his initials. Since his passing, his wife of 55 years also died on April 28, 2003. On this quilt square, the single heart represents her, his love. The flag stands for his military years in the Army during World War II. The sunflowers are the State of Kansas flowers. He loved any flowers. The mailbox shows he enjoyed hearing from family and friends at a distance. He had feeders so he could watch birds. He fed lots of stray cats and allowed many of them to hide from harsh weather and live in his garage. The black cat was in memory of the two he had as pets. The Green Bay Packers were No. 1 for football. He loved to fish and could do carpentry, plumbing and painting. He enjoyed dominoes and watching 'The Price is Right' on television. The heart with the '7' represents the seven children Marjorie and Bill raised. And last, the bear-his tough exterior to hide the teddy bear he really was!

- Kay Lynn Rodriguez, daughter

Jerome Robert Eiler

Green Lake, Wis.
May 8, 1926-April 29, 2002

Jerry was born in Chicago. He lived and worked in that area until 1988, when he retired and sold his business, Grand Pattern Works, in River Grove, Ill. He moved his family to Green Lake in 1972 and commuted back and forth for 16 years so they could have a better and fuller life. He looked forward to spending weekends with them and the special friends he made. Jerry and I were married for almost 47 years. We had three sons and one daughter, and were grandparents of 10. The quilt square is made from a favorite pair of Jerry's summer shorts. While he was in the Navy in the Pacific, he was a 'talker' on an LST and a Cook Second Class. He loved cooking all his life. After retirement, he designed and helped build at least seven decks, as well as other projects. After a trip to Shiloh, and later Gettysburg, he became fascinated with the Civil War and became an avid reader on the subject. The building of the Panama Canal was also of special interest. One of his favorite sayings was, 'Hold dear the effort more than the prize.'

- Irma C. Eiler, wife.

Robert Fowler

Oxford, Wis.
Nov. 11, 1922-Feb. 12, 2003

To My Beloved
It's very hard to write a poem
About the nicest guy I have ever known.
There aren't enough words to say
How much I loved him every day.
We lived together for 54 years
With lotsa love and a few little tears.
When God needed an angel up above
He took home my one true love.
I'll miss him forever!

- Olga Fowler, wife

Joseph Goffard

Fremont, Wis.
Aug. 22, 1958 - Jan. 6, 2003

Joe was a great son and brother to all of us with a love for life and everyone he knew. When Joe's sister needed a kidney transplant, he offered to help her. But someone else came along at the right time for her to receive a kidney and pancreas transplant in 1998. She is doing well and we thank the generous family who donated for her. Joe told his sister that he was going to be a donor after her transplant. He was truly a generous, loving son and we will miss him always.

- The Erwin Goffard Family

William 'Vance' Goodhue

Arkdale, Wis.
Oct. 12, 1949-Jan. 12, 2002

My brother loved to build things, so we thought this square should have tools on it. He always was busy with his hands. His heart was full of gold, but he always had to have his shades on, so we couldn't forget those. I know that it took us 11 months to figure out what we wanted to put on his square and we had lots of good memories making it, but it only took us minutes to know that we wanted to help others through tissue donation. Vance would have wanted this because he was always helping someone.

- Rosalyn Jensen, sister

Lester Granger

Oshkosh, Wis.
Dec. 21, 1922-July 17, 2002

Lester Granger was a very loving husband, father and grandfather. He also had a green thumb. Anything he planted, grew. He planted a hollyhock in a tree stump and it grew. He had a wonderful sense of humor. He planted a small tree in the front yard and the tree is now at least 25 feet tall. My daughter-in-law made this flower for him. He always said, 'If anything happens to me and someone can use part of my body, be sure to donate it.' We miss him very much. His hobbies were fishing, golfing, playing cards and gardening.

- June Granger, wife

Patrick O'Donnell

Montello, Wis.
May 25, 1950-March 6, 2002

My husband Pat was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and best friend. The square represents our love for him. The palm tree stands for Cancun, Mexico, Pat's favorite place in the world. We vacationed there every winter for years. He felt most relaxed there and enjoyed himself tremendously. The fish represents how much he loved to fish, whether big rig fishing or sitting in a small boat bobber fishing, admiring the scenery. The stars represent his service in the U.S. Army. Pat was a Vietnam veteran-a helicopter door gunner-who sustained injuries and was awarded three Purple Hearts. The cross is Our Lord, who will be taking care of him until we meet again. We loved him very much and miss him terribly. May he rest in peace.

- Kathy O'Donnell, wife

Don Powers

Markesan, Wis.
June 22, 1933-Nov. 21, 2002

Don Powers was passionate about his interests. He loved baseball, basketball and football. His favorite teams were the Chicago Cubs, Wisconsin Badgers and the Green Bay Packers. He appreciated good music and sang barbershop for 20-plus years. Don was a dedicated husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, farmer and Army veteran. Even to the end, he gave all he could by being a tissue donor.

- Barbara Powers, wife

Chad Joseph Rudolph

Pulaski, Wis.
Aug. 15, 1973-Feb. 8, 2003

Chad was an incredibly loving, personable man. He could walk into a room of strangers and leave with a dozen new friends. Chad always stood out in a crowd, not only because of his 6-foot-eight-inch height, but because he radiated warmth and friendliness to everyone around him. Taking pleasure in life's simplest things, Chad lived each day to its fullest. When Chad was 3, his 9-year-old brother Jon died and when Chad was 5, his 34-year-old father Chuck died. As Chad grew older, he played many sports. His favorite was basketball, and he wore the number 34 in memory of his dad. Chad loved the Dallas Cowboys-something his Packer-loving family and friends always gave him a hard time about. Stationed in New York, Italy, Germany and Kosovo, Chad served in the Army for seven years. While Chad enjoyed traveling, his heart was always back home with his family and friends. Chad is deeply missed by his mom Rhoda, sister Kelly, brother-in-law Greg, his nieces and nephew Emile, Ian and Olivia, who he loved immeasurably, and by his extended family and many friends. Chad will always be remembered for his compassion, unselfishness and his smile that lit up any room.

- Rhoda Rudolph, mother

Bernice B. Schaubs

Oshkosh, Wis.
June 23, 1930-Dec. 4, 2002

Bernice had a warm heart and channeled her generosity into beautiful and practical ways, such as being a good friend, a ready listener and a willing helper. She often said that donation was a perfect gift-your body meant nothing to you after death, but could mean the world to someone else. Raised in Oshkosh, Bernice trained as a nurse and worked at Mercy Medical Center until her retirement in 1989. She married Dexter Schaubs in 1952. They raised three children and in May 2002, celebrated 50 happy years together. Bernice was a lifelong Lutheran. She and Dexter led the team that created 25 stained glass windows at St. Andrew's Church. She was an untiring contributor to Good Shepherd Church's annual craft sale. In addition, she freely volunteered her time to community causes and to Mercy Medical Center. A believer in continual learning, Bernice helped establish the UW-Oshkosh 'Learning in Retirement' and was an active participant in Elder Hostel programs and an international traveler. She mastered quilting and counted cross stitch, creating many beautiful projects. She also loved birding and was a staunch supporter of environmental and wildlife causes. This little chickadee from 1988 combines two of her favorite activities.

- Dexter Schaubs, husband

John Seubert

Marathon, Wis.
Feb. 2, 1927-Feb. 8, 2002

John was greatly interested in flowers and gardening. I embroidered his quilt square with this in mind. He loved birds and bird watching, so I included a robin on an apple blossom branch. His other pride was decorating a 50-foot evergreen tree with more than 1,000 two-inch red lights during the Christmas season. The entire village appreciated his community Christmas tree.

- Joan Suebert, wife

Jimmer Melvin Smith

Appleton, Wis.
May 7, 1919 - Jan. 25, 2002

Jimmer was a fun-loving person. His smile was contagious. He had a great personality and a big heart. He was the life of the party at all our family gatherings. He has two little girls, Allie, 10, and Josie, 9. He loved them with all his heart. He loved taking them camping. He also loved his brothers and sisters, all his nieces and nephews and his many, many friends. He loved riding his Harley Davidson. His friends all paid their respects and his funeral and also on his first year anniversary. They had a patch made for him, which they all wear on their jackets. He built himself a business called J&J Sealcoating. Jimmer worked hard, played hard and really lived his life. What a shame it was so short. We all love and miss him a bunch. We will never forget him!

- Mardie Smith, mother

Jon Steffens

Green Bay, Wis.
June 20, 1977-Oct. 10, 2002

Jon was a machine mechanic at a food company in the Green Bay area. He was an extremely hard worker who truly enjoyed his job. He also enjoyed many other things such as riding his Harley Davidson, running, archery and spending time with friends. Our family hopes that his memory will live on through the donations that have become 'gifts of life.'

- Donald Steffens, father

Howard Irvin Wade

Grand Marsh, Wis.
1919-2001

Howard Wade will always be remembered for his love of the outdoors and his skill as a craftsman. However, to family and friends, he was so much more. He was the patriarch of a very large, loving Irish brood. He always lent encouragement, support and a non-judgmental ear to those who presented a new life path or asked for his guidance. He was a character to rival any other, very playful and gregarious. He was also a patient teacher. He introduced the entire family to the fine art of fishing, teaching us how to cast the lure and never losing composure when we landed it in a tree branch. Howard was a very strong man, a volunteer and a hard worker. Serving his country during World War II, he belonged to a rare breed of men that embodied a sense of honor, duty and loyalty, a group referred to by Tom Brokaw as 'The Greatest Generation.' His virtuous nature led Howard to choose donation which was never an option but rather the only clear choice. Howard was incandescent, beaming at every birth, wedding and graduation with an enormous sense of joy and pride. He disciplined without being heavy-handed. What Howard will be remembered most for, is his beautiful craftsmanship. He handcrafted oak treasure chests for the entire family. The irony is that he was truly the greatest treasure to each life he touched.

- Mary Wade, wife

Corey L. Wanic

Green Bay, Wis.
May 3, 1971-July 12, 2000

Corey was always the focal point of a group. He was a cornerstone in so many of our lives. How many times have we seen Corey entertain us with his knowledge, stunts, phenomenal strength and, most of all, humor? Corey was an extremist. Everything he did, he did to an extreme, striving for absolutely nothing but perfection. He mastered many hobbies, including fishing, biking, football and weightlifting. In his profession, his creativity and artistic ability led him to be titled as one, if not the best, Green Bay ceramic tile specialist. His work, in a short time, was elevated to impeccable. During a stunt at high speed on his motorcycle, he lost control and sustained fatal head injuries. He was not wearing a helmet. Corey previously discussed with family and friends that he wanted to be a donor. In honoring that request, his parents' and brothers' pain was eased by the knowledge that others would be given a chance for renewed life and hope. Though Corey is gone, he will live on in our hearts.

- Sue Wanic, mother

Jeffrey Ryan Wheeler

Kaukauna, Wis.
Oct. 3, 1952-March 11, 2002

It's hard to put into a paragraph enough words describing a man who in 28 years of marriage, gave me a lifetime of memories-a man who was helping raise three sons and loved being with his family. He loved collecting things from flea markets and rummage sales to add to our eclectic collections. We moved 25 times, lived in five different states, had 56 cars and loved to travel the U.S. His sons knew Dad would discipline them when they were wrong, but knew he loved them and wanted them to do their best. Though I will have finish raising our sons on my own, I know they had a good role model and will do better in life for having known and loved him. Each night, Jeff told me he loved me and thanked me for being there with him. We miss his smile, his sparkling brown eyes, him warm hugs and sense of humor. We are content in the fact that part of him lives on and know he will never be far away and will watch over us until we can be together again.

- Pam Wheeler, wife