| Notes |
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) - December 14, 2009
Deceased Name: O'Brien , Jane C.
O'Brien , Jane C. Was peacefully embraced by God's loving arms on Dec. 11, 2009, at the age of 91 years. Loving wife and best friend of Bob for 53 years. Dear mother of Jane (Rod) Reilly, Margaret (Robert) Hamill, Katie O'Brien , Mary Pat (Earl) Hosterman, Elizabeth (Gary) Van Alstine, Daniel O'Brien , Eileen O'Brien , Sheila (Richard) Yerman, Robert (Barb) O'Brien , Kyran (Cyndee) O'Brien , Louise (Greg) Berg. Dear sister of Kyran Conarchy, Marian Weithofer, Ann Hunter, Sister Lois Conarchy SL; Sister-in-law of Mary Conarchy and Jane Conarchy. Further survived by 29 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by her husband W. Robert "Bob", brothers William and Jack. All of Jane 's closest friends remember her as a vibrant Irish woman who lived her life by the four "Fs"- Faith, Family, Friends and Fun. A woman who never complained about hardships and who always remained faithful and lived life to the fullest. Dearly loved by all who knew her and she will be greatly missed. Special appreciation is extended from Jane 's family to Dr. Michael Fetherston, VITAS Hospice, Rev. Russell Hurst, Milwaukee Catholic Home Staff. Friends may visit on Wed. from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM Prayer Service at the Funeral Home. Funeral Mass Thursday, 11:00 AM at St. Jerome Catholic Church (995 Silver Lake St. Oconomowoc, WI. 53066). Final rest St. Jerome Cemetery. Memorials to St. Jerome Building Fund, Mt. Mary College, or VITAS Hospice. Love You More
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI)
Date: December 14, 2009
Edition: Final
Page: 99
Record Number: MERLIN_19395167
Copyright, 2009, Journal Sentinel, All Rights Reserved.
Baptismal sponsers were Marcella Phelan and Charles Lavery. Worked as a medical and x-ray technician. -------------------------------- O’Brien, Jane C. Was peacefully embraced by God’s loving arms on Dec. 11, 2009, at the age of 91 years. Loving wife and best friend of Bob for 53 years. Dear mother of Jane (Rod) Reilly, Margaret (Robert) Hamill, Katie O’Brien, Mary Pat (Earl) Hosterman, Elizabeth (Gary) Van Alstine, Daniel O’Brien, Eileen O’Brien, Sheila (Richard) Yerman, Robert (Barb) O’Brien, Kyran (Cyndee) O’Brien, Louise (Greg) Berg. Dear sister of Kyran Conarchy, Marian Weithofer, Ann Hunter, Sister Lois Conarchy SL. Sister-in-law of Mary Conarchy and Jane Conarchy. Further survived by 29 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by her husband W. Robert “Bob”, brothers William and Jack. All of Jane’s closest friends remember her as a vibrant Irish woman who lived her life by the four “Fs” - Faith, Family, Friends and Fun. A woman who never complained about hardships and who always remained faithful and lived life to the fullest. Dearly loved by all who knew he rand she will be greatly missed. Special appreciation is extended from Jane’s family to Dr. Michael Featherston, VITAS Hospice, Rev. Russell Hurst, Milwaukee Catholic Home Staff. Friends may visit on Wednesday from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM Prayer Service at the Funeral Home. Funeral Mass Thursday, 11:00 AM at St. Jerome Catholic Church (995 Silver Lake St., Oconomowoc, WI 53066). Final rest St Jerome Cemetery. Memorials to St Jerome Building Fund, Mt. Mary College, of VITAS Hospice. Love You More! __________________ Mass of Christian Burial Jane O'Brien March 20, 1918 - December 11, 2009 St. Jerome Catholic Church Oconomowoc, WI Presider: Fr. John Yockey December 17, 2009 First Reading Proclaimed by Dan O'Brien Responsorial Psalm Proclaimed by Kyran Hamill Second Reading Proclaimed by Jane Perry Reflection Jane Reilly She gave us life. She gave us love. She gave us, what she liked to call, the "Four F's" in this order; Faith, Family, Friends and Fun. She gave us all she had to give. And we give thanks for Mom. She "loves us more", and always will. Her legacy, we'll carry on. I was fortunate to spend concentrated time alone recently with Mom, a very rare thing. She grew fond of telling me that she was so glad to be with "her oldest" because I remembered so many things from "the early years", as she would call them. She married Dad on a weekend leave during the war, wearing a white velvet gown, lovingly made for her by her Mother. It was exactly 9 months and one day later, that I came along on the scene. My earliest memories of those years were that they were very challenging for Mom, but I also remember all the fun we had. Mom always said, "The best things in life are free". She encouraged a love for the simplest things. Mom and I enjoyed reminiscing about our 2 bedroom flat on McKinley Avenue in Milwaukee, where Mom and Dad raised six children - three in one bedroom, three in the other. The 'master' bedroom was a pull-out sofabed in the living room. Those early years, without a car, years of beautiful baby after baby; cloth diapers, the old tub wringer washer, before permanent press, microwaves, or clothes dryers; and not a hair out of place, tucked into that tight bun- how did she do it? She was so resourceful. So determined. So giving. So caring. So strong. So "making the very best of it all". Making do. By believing, of course, in keeping with her faith, that the Lord will provide. And provide God did! After those earliest years, the fun really began. After five girls, brother Dan came along; as did the need for at least one more bedroom, but never mind a second bathroom. The beautiful, much bigger, 3 story house on Shepard became our first real home in a bustling neighborhood, bursting with over 100 children on the block, for sports teams in the street, and games of 'kick the can' and 'chase' until the street lights came on. It was not a coincidence that Mom and Dad bought homes on streets referencing the religious: the Good Shepard Avenue; and later, Mother Mary Lane. Miracles abounded day to day. How did that pot of 8 potatoes end up mashed enough to feed 13, plus any neighborhood stray child who regularly popped in around dinnertime? But in keeping with her faith, 'twas the loaves and fishes no doubt, or should I say Otto's day-old bread and fish sticks! We had all we ever needed. In fact "our cup runneth over". We always had summer vacations together up north, and on Booth Lake, packing up the one car. Think about this now, with 13 people, and 'Boots' our rabbit, in the days before seat belts; 'luggage' for up to one month in the form of one Sendiks box each on the car-top carrier and, except for the lake fish Dad caught, all the food she needed to feed us the entire time. I was there, and I still can't figure out how she did it. We did learn, through it all, that "less is more", sharing makes you richer, and never to touch that last spoonful of tuna casserole. That was Dad's - who just passed it back around the table to Mom, who always served herself last. Speaking of Dad, who adored Mom, he used to say 'who needs riches, when you have all you need in each other'? Dad called Mom his "One and Only", signing every greeting card with" O.A.O. She truly was a very rare gem, one of a kind, and will remain our "One and Only" beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother forever. Mom took fun to a new level on Shepard Avenue. She surely inherited the Conarchy fun gene from her 1st generation Irish father, Kyran Patrick Joseph Aloysius Conarchy from Dublin, Ireland, who was a world class practical joker. She'd sneak out of the house at dawn every Fourth of July to start the day off with a bang, lighting a firecracker next to the milkbox at the back door; just before blaring the old Mahalia Jackson record, "America The Beautiful" from the old record player on the front porch, waking the whole neighborhood. Then she'd come back in the house complaining about "all that racket" and try to pin the firework on the Armstrongs, Witczaks or Schultes. And, of course, Mom brought her exquisite sense of mischief and fun to the magic of Christmas. Oh, how those little Santa's brownies, as we called them, played with our young imaginations - leaving candy canes in our shoes on St. Nick's day, and notes from the brownies on our bedside windowsills, with little jingle bells, peppermints, or a sparkly ornament. We siblings exchanged one gift each, with our secret Santa, every Christmas Eve, after reading the nativity bible passage, while singing carols by the light of the advent wreath and Christmas tree. This was followed by more caroling door to door, and Mother hosting a large neighborhood and choir gathering following midnight mass, as if she had nothing else to do. Her faith deeply infused each Christmas with the radiant beauty of the beloved Christ Child, whose love she so brightly reflected to all. But, oh yes, back to the fun! The Christmas ritual included a noisy game of spoons, which Louise always won. But any given day, there were cribbage matches with the 'outtatowners', cut throat Uno with any of her 29 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren, the "challenge dares" at scrabble, crossword puzzles each morning over coffee and, post chemo, her tea. How she loved golf, boat rides, and biking with her Oconomowoc friends, the cross country skiing, and brisk walks at sunset to enjoy God's fresh air. Mom so loved her spectator sports, too, keeping up with Marquette U teams, as well as whichever team Bret was on at the moment! Sadly, she lived her entire 91 and ½ years without ever seeing her beloved Cubbies win a World Series! Oh well, as she often said, that's the way it goes! And then there were those tournament bridge games with her Mount Mary girlfriends. Before becoming the world's best wife and mother, Mom was a stunningly beautiful young woman, spending many happy days in Chicago with her loving family. Mom then spent her college years in Milwaukee at Mount Mary, making lifelong friends in her college club. Those young women shared her values and they stuck together through thick and thin, meeting monthly, without fail, for, amazingly, well over 50 years - monthly! They were BFF's to the fourth power, indeed the best faithful fun friends forever. And then there's her dear, beloved and always delightful Conarchy family - and the mysterious tale of the Green Phantom! To get the full story on the Green Phantom, and so much more, you'll really have to ask Mom's siblings (Uncle Kyran, Aunt Marian, Aunt Ann and Aunt Lois, and sister-in-laws, Aunt Jane and Aunt Mary) to elaborate on this later at the Irish Pub. But it seems Mom took to the idea of fooling her younger brother Bill, another practical joker, into thinking he had a mysterious pen pal named the Green Phantom - and she continued fooling him for his entire life! Right before dear Bill passed away, but not a moment too soon, she decided to come clean and let him in on her little secret - that Mother herself was, indeed, the mysterious Green Phantom. Now Uncle Bill and Mom will be laughing together about that in heaven for a long, long time! Mom's role was a traditional housewife and stay-at-home mother, except for the stay-at-home part. Once we had a second car, she managed to find time between stirring huge pots of cream of wheat and never ending laundry loads, to volunteer on boards, committees and clubs at St. Roberts, Dominican, Marquette, Mount Mary, and the Catholic Home, to name but a few. She even volunteered until her 90's at the Lutheran Home for the elderly on Lac Labelle, wheeling folks a good deal younger than Mom to and from mass weekly and, especially, Christmas Eve. She will be dearly missed this coming Christmas Eve. As many used to say, if she wasn't running our family, she'd be the CEO of a huge corporation! Stamina was never in short supply. Once we had "built in" baby sitters, Mom and Dad visited Ireland many times, the first visit triggering her fascination with genealogy and the evolution of the prolific Conarchy family tree. Then, Mom and Dad had their annual Florida fun with fellow snowbirds, Dad's sister Aunt Ceil, and her husband, Uncle Jack End. Mom accompanied Dad on business trips all over the world with Briggs and Stratton, as far away as New Zealand. It seemed she had relatives everywhere she went, even in Christchurch, whom she kept in contact with throughout her life. She picked mushrooms in Sweden, and held a wombat in Australia, cruised Alaska and flew in a helicopter onto a glacier, and rode in a hot air balloon with Uncle Kyran. (Not Dad, because he said 'someone has to take care of the kids'.) And most recently, just the end of May this year, Mom piloted a seaplane like her childhood heroine Amelia Earhardt, flying over the last place she called home on Lac Labelle, a home she was only able to maintain for all these years since Dad died, in no small measure, due to a network of loving and loyal friends like Lee, Roseanne, Carol, Bill, Peggy and, most of all, her dear Doug. She had a wonderful Fourth of July this past summer with more family, friends, fun and fireworks. She sat in the boat with Lou and Greg, and her glass of Chardonnay with 1 ice cube; and pondered aloud, as she often did these past few years, about the future, her age, her health. She was grateful always, but realistic about the inevitable. Little did we know, any of us, that just weeks later, everything would change. The last five months have been extremely difficult and at the same time the most moving and powerful for all of us who knew and loved her. We watched her face one medical crisis after another with courage and trust. The worst part for her was being totally dependant for the first time in her life. She was always the caretaker, never wanting or needing to be on the receiving end of that kind of attention. She accepted each successive stage of loss with dignity, but also a sweet vulnerability that allowed us to be open with her about what was happening. She graciously allowed us to help her. Her large loving family pitched in as best we all could but, pivotal to it all, was the central figure that Mom had selected to shepherd her through these difficult days, her "little Lou". Mom, and all of us, will be eternally grateful. Through it all, Mom kept her sense of humor, and that uncanny ability to retrieve dates for sending everyone she knew greeting cards, and to come up with words no one uses for crossword puzzles. Although her traveling days were over, she still attended the last Hamill wedding. She was 'skyped' in to the service and prayed the 'Our Father' right along with the rest of the congregation. She comforted us as we struggled with our own fears about what was to come. She repeated over and over that she loved each one of us 'more', and that all she and Dad ever wanted was a large loving family. She made it crystal clear that she wanted us to take care of each other. In the end, she called out to her best friend and cherished husband, Bob - with her favorite term of endearment for Dad, 'honey', the last word she uttered. Now they are together again to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on January 3rd. In closing, I want to read something in Mom's own words. This was written at the turn of our new century when she was just beginning to tackle the high tech world of email communication, with her trademark curiosity and fearlessness. She writes about challenges she was coping with at that time, but her words will now be held in our hearts forever: "I was going to write each of you a separate note, but decided to make use of this e-mail thing. So much has happened recently, that has brought out the true meaning of the word 'family'. It certainly has been a mixture of sadness and joy. Through it all, each and every one of you, have been such a source of comfort to me, and to each other. To have us together during these emotional events, is something I will never forget. Dad and I have been truly blessed with the best family in the world. Remember always to take care of each other. Love you more and more all the time. Mother" General Intercessions Ryan Berg, Sean Hamill, Colleen Hamill, Tim Hamill, Kevin Hamill, David Hosterman, Mike Hamill, Dan Reilly Gift Bearers Sheila Hamill, Theresa O'Brien Symbols presented by Brendan, Jim & Meg O'Brien Communion Meditation: Ave Maria Sung by Alison & Claire Wadsworth Recessional Bagpipes played by Brigid Hamill & Robert Brendan Hamill Pallbearers Patrick Hamill, Bob Reilly, Jennifer Henningfeld, Tyler Reilly, Earl Hosterman, Jessica Umhoefer, Bill O'Brien, Alison Wadsworth, Ian O'Brien Burial St. Jerome Cemetery Oconomowoc, WI The celebration of Jane's life will continue at The Pub, 114 N. Main St., Oconomowoc
Baptismal sponsers were Marcella Phelan and Charles Lavery.
Worked as a medical and x-ray technician.
--------------------------------
O’Brien, Jane C.
Was peacefully embraced by God’s loving arms on Dec. 11, 2009, at the age of 91 years. Loving wife and best friend of Bob for 53 years. Dear mother of Jane (Rod) Reilly, Margaret (Robert) Hamill, Katie O’Brien, Mary Pat (Earl) Hosterman, Elizabeth (Gary) Van Alstine, Daniel O’Brien, Eileen O’Brien, Sheila (Richard) Yerman, Robert (Barb) O’Brien, Kyran (Cyndee) O’Brien, Louise (Greg) Berg. Dear sister of Kyran Conarchy, Marian Weithofer, Ann Hunter, Sister Lois Conarchy SL. Sister-in-law of Mary Conarchy and Jane Conarchy. Further survived by 29 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by her husband W. Robert “Bob”, brothers William and Jack. All of Jane’s closest friends remember her as a vibrant Irish woman who lived her life by the four “Fs” - Faith, Family, Friends and Fun. A woman who never complained about hardships and who always remained faithful and lived life to the fullest. Dearly loved by all who knew he rand she will be greatly missed. Special appreciation is extended from Jane’s family to Dr. Michael Featherston, VITAS Hospice, Rev. Russell Hurst, Milwaukee Catholic Home Staff. Friends may visit on Wednesday from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM Prayer Service at the Funeral Home. Funeral Mass Thursday, 11:00 AM at St. Jerome Catholic Church (995 Silver Lake St., Oconomowoc, WI 53066). Final rest St Jerome Cemetery. Memorials to St Jerome Building Fund, Mt. Mary College, of VITAS Hospice. Love You More!
__________________
Mass of Christian Burial
Jane O'Brien
March 20, 1918 - December 11, 2009
St. Jerome Catholic Church
Oconomowoc, WI
Presider: Fr. John Yockey
December 17, 2009
First Reading Proclaimed by Dan O'Brien
Responsorial Psalm Proclaimed by Kyran Hamill
Second Reading Proclaimed by Jane Perry
Reflection Jane Reilly
She gave us life. She gave us love. She gave us, what she liked to call, the "Four F's" in this order; Faith, Family, Friends and Fun. She gave us all she had to give. And we give thanks for Mom. She "loves us more", and always will. Her legacy, we'll carry on.
I was fortunate to spend concentrated time alone recently with Mom, a very rare thing. She grew fond of telling me that she was so glad to be with "her oldest" because I remembered so many things from "the early years", as she would call them. She married Dad on a weekend leave during the war, wearing a white velvet gown, lovingly made for her by her Mother. It was exactly 9 months and one day later, that I came along on the scene. My earliest memories of those years were that they were very challenging for Mom, but I also remember all the fun we had. Mom always said, "The best things in life are free". She encouraged a love for the simplest things. Mom and I enjoyed reminiscing about our 2 bedroom flat on McKinley Avenue in Milwaukee, where Mom and Dad raised six children - three in one bedroom, three in the other. The 'master' bedroom was a pull-out sofabed in the living room. Those early years, without a car, years of beautiful baby after baby; cloth diapers, the old tub wringer washer, before permanent press, microwaves, or clothes dryers; and not a hair out of place, tucked into that tight bun- how did she do it? She was so resourceful. So determined. So giving. So caring. So strong. So "making the very best of it all". Making do. By believing, of course, in keeping with her faith, that the Lord will provide.
And provide God did! After those earliest years, the fun really began. After five girls, brother Dan came along; as did the need for at least one more bedroom, but never mind a second bathroom. The beautiful, much bigger, 3 story house on Shepard became our first real home in a bustling neighborhood, bursting with over 100 children on the block, for sports teams in the street, and games of 'kick the can' and 'chase' until the street lights came on. It was not a coincidence that Mom and Dad bought homes on streets referencing the religious: the Good Shepard Avenue; and later, Mother Mary Lane. Miracles abounded day to day. How did that pot of 8 potatoes end up mashed enough to feed 13, plus any neighborhood stray child who regularly popped in around dinnertime? But in keeping with her faith, 'twas the loaves and fishes no doubt, or should I say Otto's day-old bread and fish sticks! We had all we ever needed. In fact "our cup runneth over". We always had summer vacations together up north, and on Booth Lake, packing up the one car. Think about this now, with 13 people, and 'Boots' our rabbit, in the days before seat belts; 'luggage' for up to one month in the form of one Sendiks box each on the car-top carrier and, except for the lake fish Dad caught, all the food she needed to feed us the entire time. I was there, and I still can't figure out how she did it.
We did learn, through it all, that "less is more", sharing makes you richer, and never to touch that last spoonful of tuna casserole. That was Dad's - who just passed it back around the table to Mom, who always served herself last. Speaking of Dad, who adored Mom, he used to say 'who needs riches, when you have all you need in each other'? Dad called Mom his "One and Only", signing every greeting card with" O.A.O. She truly was a very rare gem, one of a kind, and will remain our "One and Only" beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother forever.
Mom took fun to a new level on Shepard Avenue. She surely inherited the Conarchy fun gene from her 1st generation Irish father, Kyran Patrick Joseph Aloysius Conarchy from Dublin, Ireland, who was a world class practical joker. She'd sneak out of the house at dawn every Fourth of July to start the day off with a bang, lighting a firecracker next to the milkbox at the back door; just before blaring the old Mahalia Jackson record, "America The Beautiful" from the old record player on the front porch, waking the whole neighborhood. Then she'd come back in the house complaining about "all that racket" and try to pin the firework on the Armstrongs, Witczaks or Schultes.
And, of course, Mom brought her exquisite sense of mischief and fun to the magic of Christmas. Oh, how those little Santa's brownies, as we called them, played with our young imaginations - leaving candy canes in our shoes on St. Nick's day, and notes from the brownies on our bedside windowsills, with little jingle bells, peppermints, or a sparkly ornament. We siblings exchanged one gift each, with our secret Santa, every Christmas Eve, after reading the nativity bible passage, while singing carols by the light of the advent wreath and Christmas tree. This was followed by more caroling door to door, and Mother hosting a large neighborhood and choir gathering following midnight mass, as if she had nothing else to do. Her faith deeply infused each Christmas with the radiant beauty of the beloved Christ Child, whose love she so brightly reflected to all.
But, oh yes, back to the fun! The Christmas ritual included a noisy game of spoons, which Louise always won. But any given day, there were cribbage matches with the 'outtatowners', cut throat Uno with any of her 29 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren, the "challenge dares" at scrabble, crossword puzzles each morning over coffee and, post chemo, her tea. How she loved golf, boat rides, and biking with her Oconomowoc friends, the cross country skiing, and brisk walks at sunset to enjoy God's fresh air. Mom so loved her spectator sports, too, keeping up with Marquette U teams, as well as whichever team Bret was on at the moment! Sadly, she lived her entire 91 and ½ years without ever seeing her beloved Cubbies win a World Series! Oh well, as she often said, that's the way it goes!
And then there were those tournament bridge games with her Mount Mary girlfriends. Before becoming the world's best wife and mother, Mom was a stunningly beautiful young woman, spending many happy days in Chicago with her loving family. Mom then spent her college years in Milwaukee at Mount Mary, making lifelong friends in her college club. Those young women shared her values and they stuck together through thick and thin, meeting monthly, without fail, for, amazingly, well over 50 years - monthly! They were BFF's to the fourth power, indeed the best faithful fun friends forever.
And then there's her dear, beloved and always delightful Conarchy family - and the mysterious tale of the Green Phantom! To get the full story on the Green Phantom, and so much more, you'll really have to ask Mom's siblings (Uncle Kyran, Aunt Marian, Aunt Ann and Aunt Lois, and sister-in-laws, Aunt Jane and Aunt Mary) to elaborate on this later at the Irish Pub. But it seems Mom took to the idea of fooling her younger brother Bill, another practical joker, into thinking he had a mysterious pen pal named the Green Phantom - and she continued fooling him for his entire life! Right before dear Bill passed away, but not a moment too soon, she decided to come clean and let him in on her little secret - that Mother herself was, indeed, the mysterious Green Phantom. Now Uncle Bill and Mom will be laughing together about that in heaven for a long, long time!
Mom's role was a traditional housewife and stay-at-home mother, except for the stay-at-home part. Once we had a second car, she managed to find time between stirring huge pots of cream of wheat and never ending laundry loads, to volunteer on boards, committees and clubs at St. Roberts, Dominican, Marquette, Mount Mary, and the Catholic Home, to name but a few. She even volunteered until her 90's at the Lutheran Home for the elderly on Lac Labelle, wheeling folks a good deal younger than Mom to and from mass weekly and, especially, Christmas Eve. She will be dearly missed this coming Christmas Eve. As many used to say, if she wasn't running our family, she'd be the CEO of a huge corporation!
Stamina was never in short supply. Once we had "built in" baby sitters, Mom and Dad visited Ireland many times, the first visit triggering her fascination with genealogy and the evolution of the prolific Conarchy family tree. Then, Mom and Dad had their annual Florida fun with fellow snowbirds, Dad's sister Aunt Ceil, and her husband, Uncle Jack End. Mom accompanied Dad on business trips all over the world with Briggs and Stratton, as far away as New Zealand. It seemed she had relatives everywhere she went, even in Christchurch, whom she kept in contact with throughout her life. She picked mushrooms in Sweden, and held a wombat in Australia, cruised Alaska and flew in a helicopter onto a glacier, and rode in a hot air balloon with Uncle Kyran. (Not Dad, because he said 'someone has to take care of the kids'.) And most recently, just the end of May this year, Mom piloted a seaplane like her childhood heroine Amelia Earhardt, flying over the last place she called home on Lac Labelle, a home she was only able to maintain for all these years since Dad died, in no small measure, due to a network of loving and loyal friends like Lee, Roseanne, Carol, Bill, Peggy and, most of all, her dear Doug.
She had a wonderful Fourth of July this past summer with more family, friends, fun and fireworks. She sat in the boat with Lou and Greg, and her glass of Chardonnay with 1 ice cube; and pondered aloud, as she often did these past few years, about the future, her age, her health. She was grateful always, but realistic about the inevitable. Little did we know, any of us, that just weeks later, everything would change.
The last five months have been extremely difficult and at the same time the most moving and powerful for all of us who knew and loved her. We watched her face one medical crisis after another with courage and trust. The worst part for her was being totally dependant for the first time in her life. She was always the caretaker, never wanting or needing to be on the receiving end of that kind of attention. She accepted each successive stage of loss with dignity, but also a sweet vulnerability that allowed us to be open with her about what was happening. She graciously allowed us to help her. Her large loving family pitched in as best we all could but, pivotal to it all, was the central figure that Mom had selected to shepherd her through these difficult days, her "little Lou". Mom, and all of us, will be eternally grateful. Through it all, Mom kept her sense of humor, and that uncanny ability to retrieve dates for sending everyone she knew greeting cards, and to come up with words no one uses for crossword puzzles. Although her traveling days were over, she still attended the last Hamill wedding. She was 'skyped' in to the service and prayed the 'Our Father' right along with the rest of the congregation. She comforted us as we struggled with our own fears about what was to come. She repeated over and over that she loved each one of us 'more', and that all she and Dad ever wanted was a large loving family. She made it crystal clear that she wanted us to take care of each other. In the end, she called out to her best friend and cherished husband, Bob - with her favorite term of endearment for Dad, 'honey', the last word she uttered. Now they are together again to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on January 3rd.
In closing, I want to read something in Mom's own words. This was written at the turn of our new century when she was just beginning to tackle the high tech world of email communication, with her trademark curiosity and fearlessness. She writes about challenges she was coping with at that time, but her words will now be held in our hearts forever:
"I was going to write each of you a separate note, but decided to make use of this e-mail thing. So much has happened recently, that has brought out the true meaning of the word 'family'. It certainly has been a mixture of sadness and joy. Through it all, each and every one of you, have been such a source of comfort to me, and to each other. To have us together during these emotional events, is something I will never forget. Dad and I have been truly blessed with the best family in the world. Remember always to take care of each other. Love you more and more all the time. Mother"
General Intercessions Ryan Berg, Sean Hamill, Colleen Hamill, Tim Hamill, Kevin Hamill, David Hosterman, Mike Hamill, Dan Reilly
Gift Bearers Sheila Hamill, Theresa O'Brien
Symbols presented by Brendan, Jim & Meg O'Brien
Communion Meditation: Ave Maria Sung by Alison & Claire Wadsworth
Recessional Bagpipes played by Brigid Hamill & Robert Brendan Hamill
Pallbearers Patrick Hamill, Bob Reilly, Jennifer Henningfeld, Tyler Reilly, Earl Hosterman, Jessica Umhoefer, Bill O'Brien, Alison Wadsworth, Ian O'Brien
Burial St. Jerome Cemetery Oconomowoc, WI
The celebration of Jane's life will continue at The Pub, 114 N. Main St., Oconomowoc
Baptismal sponsers were Marcella Phelan and Charles Lavery. Worked as a medical and x-ray technician. -------------------------------- O´Brien, Jane C. Was peacefully embraced by God´s loving arms on Dec. 11, 2009, at the age of 91 years. Loving wife and best friend of Bob for 53 years. Dear mother of Jane (Rod) Reilly, Margaret (Robert) Hamill, Katie O´Brien, Mary Pat (Earl) Hosterman, Elizabeth (Gary) Van Alstine, Daniel O´Brien, Eileen O´Brien, Sheila (Richard) Yerman, Robert (Barb) O´Brien, Kyran (Cyndee) O´Brien, Louise (Greg) Berg. Dear sister of Kyran Conarchy, Marian Weithofer, Ann Hunter, Sister Lois Conarchy SL. Sister-in-law of Mary Conarchy and Jane Conarchy. Further survived by 29 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by her husband W. Robert ``Bob´´, brothers William and Jack. All of Jane´s closest friends remember her as a vibrant Irish woman who lived her life by the four ``Fs´´ - Faith, Family, Friends and Fun. A woman who never complained about hardships and who always remained faithful and lived life to the fullest. Dearly loved by all who knew he rand she will be greatly missed. Special appreciation is extended from Jane´s family to Dr. Michael Featherston, VITAS Hospice, Rev. Russell Hurst, Milwaukee Catholic Home Staff. Friends may visit on Wednesday from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM Prayer Service at the Funeral Home. Funeral Mass Thursday, 11:00 AM at St. Jerome Catholic Church (995 Silver Lake St., Oconomowoc, WI 53066). Final rest St Jerome Cemetery. Memorials to St Jerome Building Fund, Mt. Mary College, of VITAS Hospice. Love You More! __________________ Mass of Christian Burial Jane O'Brien March 20, 1918 - December 11, 2009 St. Jerome Catholic Church Oconomowoc, WI Presider: Fr. John Yockey December 17, 2009 First Reading Proclaimed by Dan O'Brien Responsorial Psalm Proclaimed by Kyran Hamill Second Reading Proclaimed by Jane Perry Reflection Jane Reilly She gave us life. She gave us love. She gave us, what she liked to call, the "Four F's" in this order; Faith, Family, Friends and Fun. She gave us all she had to give. And we give thanks for Mom. She "loves us more", and always will. Her legacy, we'll carry on. I was fortunate to spend concentrated time alone recently with Mom, a very rare thing. She grew fond of telling me that she was so glad to be with "her oldest" because I remembered so many things from "the early years", as she would call them. She married Dad on a weekend leave during the war, wearing a white velvet gown, lovingly made for her by her Mother. It was exactly 9 months and one day later, that I came along on the scene. My earliest memories of those years were that they were very challenging for Mom, but I also remember all the fun we had. Mom always said, "The best things in life are free". She encouraged a love for the simplest things. Mom and I enjoyed reminiscing about our 2 bedroom flat on McKinley Avenue in Milwaukee, where Mom and Dad raised six children - three in one bedroom, three in the other. The 'master' bedroom was a pull-out sofabed in the living room. Those early years, without a car, years of beautiful baby after baby; cloth diapers, the old tub wringer washer, before permanent press, microwaves, or clothes dryers; and not a hair out of place, tucked into that tight bun- how did she do it? She was so resourceful. So determined. So giving. So caring. So strong. So "making the very best of it all". Making do. By believing, of course, in keeping with her faith, that the Lord will provide. And provide God did! After those earliest years, the fun really began. After five girls, brother Dan came along; as did the need for at least one more bedroom, but never mind a second bathroom. The beautiful, much bigger, 3 story house on Shepard became our first real home in a bustling neighborhood, bursting with over 100 children on the block, for sports teams in the street, and games of 'kick the can' and 'chase' until the street lights came on. It was not a coincidence that Mom and Dad bought homes on streets referencing the religious: the Good Shepard Avenue; and later, Mother Mary Lane. Miracles abounded day to day. How did that pot of 8 potatoes end up mashed enough to feed 13, plus any neighborhood stray child who regularly popped in around dinnertime? But in keeping with her faith, 'twas the loaves and fishes no doubt, or should I say Otto's day-old bread and fish sticks! We had all we ever needed. In fact "our cup runneth over". We always had summer vacations together up north, and on Booth Lake, packing up the one car. Think about this now, with 13 people, and 'Boots' our rabbit, in the days before seat belts; 'luggage' for up to one month in the form of one Sendiks box each on the car-top carrier and, except for the lake fish Dad caught, all the food she needed to feed us the entire time. I was there, and I still can't figure out how she did it. We did learn, through it all, that "less is more", sharing makes you richer, and never to touch that last spoonful of tuna casserole. That was Dad's - who just passed it back around the table to Mom, who always served herself last. Speaking of Dad, who adored Mom, he used to say 'who needs riches, when you have all you need in each other'? Dad called Mom his "One and Only", signing every greeting card with" O.A.O. She truly was a very rare gem, one of a kind, and will remain our "One and Only" beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother forever. Mom took fun to a new level on Shepard Avenue. She surely inherited the Conarchy fun gene from her 1st generation Irish father, Kyran Patrick Joseph Aloysius Conarchy from Dublin, Ireland, who was a world class practical joker. She'd sneak out of the house at dawn every Fourth of July to start the day off with a bang, lighting a firecracker next to the milkbox at the back door; just before blaring the old Mahalia Jackson record, "America The Beautiful" from the old record player on the front porch, waking the whole neighborhood. Then she'd come back in the house complaining about "all that racket" and try to pin the firework on the Armstrongs, Witczaks or Schultes. And, of course, Mom brought her exquisite sense of mischief and fun to the magic of Christmas. Oh, how those little Santa's brownies, as we called them, played with our young imaginations - leaving candy canes in our shoes on St. Nick's day, and notes from the brownies on our bedside windowsills, with little jingle bells, peppermints, or a sparkly ornament. We siblings exchanged one gift each, with our secret Santa, every Christmas Eve, after reading the nativity bible passage, while singing carols by the light of the advent wreath and Christmas tree. This was followed by more caroling door to door, and Mother hosting a large neighborhood and choir gathering following midnight mass, as if she had nothing else to do. Her faith deeply infused each Christmas with the radiant beauty of the beloved Christ Child, whose love she so brightly reflected to all. But, oh yes, back to the fun! The Christmas ritual included a noisy game of spoons, which Louise always won. But any given day, there were cribbage matches with the 'outtatowners', cut throat Uno with any of her 29 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren, the "challenge dares" at scrabble, crossword puzzles each morning over coffee and, post chemo, her tea. How she loved golf, boat rides, and biking with her Oconomowoc friends, the cross country skiing, and brisk walks at sunset to enjoy God's fresh air. Mom so loved her spectator sports, too, keeping up with Marquette U teams, as well as whichever team Bret was on at the moment! Sadly, she lived her entire 91 and ½ years without ever seeing her beloved Cubbies win a World Series! Oh well, as she often said, that's the way it goes! And then there were those tournament bridge games with her Mount Mary girlfriends. Before becoming the world's best wife and mother, Mom was a stunningly beautiful young woman, spending many happy days in Chicago with her loving family. Mom then spent her college years in Milwaukee at Mount Mary, making lifelong friends in her college club. Those young women shared her values and they stuck together through thick and thin, meeting monthly, without fail, for, amazingly, well over 50 years - monthly! They were BFF's to the fourth power, indeed the best faithful fun friends forever. And then there's her dear, beloved and always delightful Conarchy family - and the mysterious tale of the Green Phantom! To get the full story on the Green Phantom, and so much more, you'll really have to ask Mom's siblings (Uncle Kyran, Aunt Marian, Aunt Ann and Aunt Lois, and sister-in-laws, Aunt Jane and Aunt Mary) to elaborate on this later at the Irish Pub. But it seems Mom took to the idea of fooling her younger brother Bill, another practical joker, into thinking he had a mysterious pen pal named the Green Phantom - and she continued fooling him for his entire life! Right before dear Bill passed away, but not a moment too soon, she decided to come clean and let him in on her little secret - that Mother herself was, indeed, the mysterious Green Phantom. Now Uncle Bill and Mom will be laughing together about that in heaven for a long, long time! Mom's role was a traditional housewife and stay-at-home mother, except for the stay-at-home part. Once we had a second car, she managed to find time between stirring huge pots of cream of wheat and never ending laundry loads, to volunteer on boards, committees and clubs at St. Roberts, Dominican, Marquette, Mount Mary, and the Catholic Home, to name but a few. She even volunteered until her 90's at the Lutheran Home for the elderly on Lac Labelle, wheeling folks a good deal younger than Mom to and from mass weekly and, especially, Christmas Eve. She will be dearly missed this coming Christmas Eve. As many used to say, if she wasn't running our family, she'd be the CEO of a huge corporation! Stamina was never in short supply. Once we had "built in" baby sitters, Mom and Dad visited Ireland many times, the first visit triggering her fascination with genealogy and the evolution of the prolific Conarchy family tree. Then, Mom and Dad had their annual Florida fun with fellow snowbirds, Dad's sister Aunt Ceil, and her husband, Uncle Jack End. Mom accompanied Dad on business trips all over the world with Briggs and Stratton, as far away as New Zealand. It seemed she had relatives everywhere she went, even in Christchurch, whom she kept in contact with throughout her life. She picked mushrooms in Sweden, and held a wombat in Australia, cruised Alaska and flew in a helicopter onto a glacier, and rode in a hot air balloon with Uncle Kyran. (Not Dad, because he said 'someone has to take care of the kids'.) And most recently, just the end of May this year, Mom piloted a seaplane like her childhood heroine Amelia Earhardt, flying over the last place she called home on Lac Labelle, a home she was only able to maintain for all these years since Dad died, in no small measure, due to a network of loving and loyal friends like Lee, Roseanne, Carol, Bill, Peggy and, most of all, her dear Doug. She had a wonderful Fourth of July this past summer with more family, friends, fun and fireworks. She sat in the boat with Lou and Greg, and her glass of Chardonnay with 1 ice cube; and pondered aloud, as she often did these past few years, about the future, her age, her health. She was grateful always, but realistic about the inevitable. Little did we know, any of us, that just weeks later, everything would change. The last five months have been extremely difficult and at the same time the most moving and powerful for all of us who knew and loved her. We watched her face one medical crisis after another with courage and trust. The worst part for her was being totally dependant for the first time in her life. She was always the caretaker, never wanting or needing to be on the receiving end of that kind of attention. She accepted each successive stage of loss with dignity, but also a sweet vulnerability that allowed us to be open with her about what was happening. She graciously allowed us to help her. Her large loving family pitched in as best we all could but, pivotal to it all, was the central figure that Mom had selected to shepherd her through these difficult days, her "little Lou". Mom, and all of us, will be eternally grateful. Through it all, Mom kept her sense of humor, and that uncanny ability to retrieve dates for sending everyone she knew greeting cards, and to come up with words no one uses for crossword puzzles. Although her traveling days were over, she still attended the last Hamill wedding. She was 'skyped' in to the service and prayed the 'Our Father' right along with the rest of the congregation. She comforted us as we struggled with our own fears about what was to come. She repeated over and over that she loved each one of us 'more', and that all she and Dad ever wanted was a large loving family. She made it crystal clear that she wanted us to take care of each other. In the end, she called out to her best friend and cherished husband, Bob - with her favorite term of endearment for Dad, 'honey', the last word she uttered. Now they are together again to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on January 3rd. In closing, I want to read something in Mom's own words. This was written at the turn of our new century when she was just beginning to tackle the high tech world of email communication, with her trademark curiosity and fearlessness. She writes about challenges she was coping with at that time, but her words will now be held in our hearts forever: "I was going to write each of you a separate note, but decided to make use of this e-mail thing. So much has happened recently, that has brought out the true meaning of the word 'family'. It certainly has been a mixture of sadness and joy. Through it all, each and every one of you, have been such a source of comfort to me, and to each other. To have us together during these emotional events, is something I will never forget. Dad and I have been truly blessed with the best family in the world. Remember always to take care of each other. Love you more and more all the time. Mother" General Intercessions Ryan Berg, Sean Hamill, Colleen Hamill, Tim Hamill, Kevin Hamill, David Hosterman, Mike Hamill, Dan Reilly Gift Bearers Sheila Hamill, Theresa O'Brien Symbols presented by Brendan, Jim & Meg O'Brien Communion Meditation: Ave Maria Sung by Alison & Claire Wadsworth Recessional Bagpipes played by Brigid Hamill & Robert Brendan Hamill Pallbearers Patrick Hamill, Bob Reilly, Jennifer Henningfeld, Tyler Reilly, Earl Hosterman, Jessica Umhoefer, Bill O'Brien, Alison Wadsworth, Ian O'Brien Burial St. Jerome Cemetery Oconomowoc, WI The celebration of Jane's life will continue at The Pub, 114 N. Main St., Oconomowoc
Baptismal sponsers were Marcella Phelan and Charles Lavery.
Worked as a medical and x-ray technician.
--------------------------------
O´Brien, Jane C.
Was peacefully embraced by God´s loving arms on Dec. 11, 2009, at the age of 91 years. Loving wife and best friend of Bob for 53 years. Dear mother of Jane (Rod) Reilly, Margaret (Robert) Hamill, Katie O´Brien, Mary Pat (Earl) Hosterman, Elizabeth (Gary) Van Alstine, Daniel O´Brien, Eileen O´Brien, Sheila (Richard) Yerman, Robert (Barb) O´Brien, Kyran (Cyndee) O´Brien, Louise (Greg) Berg. Dear sister of Kyran Conarchy, Marian Weithofer, Ann Hunter, Sister Lois Conarchy SL. Sister-in-law of Mary Conarchy and Jane Conarchy. Further survived by 29 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by her husband W. Robert ``Bob´´, brothers William and Jack. All of Jane´s closest friends remember her as a vibrant Irish woman who lived her life by the four ``Fs´´ - Faith, Family, Friends and Fun. A woman who never complained about hardships and who always remained faithful and lived life to the fullest. Dearly loved by all who knew he rand she will be greatly missed. Special appreciation is extended from Jane´s family to Dr. Michael Featherston, VITAS Hospice, Rev. Russell Hurst, Milwaukee Catholic Home Staff. Friends may visit on Wednesday from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM Prayer Service at the Funeral Home. Funeral Mass Thursday, 11:00 AM at St. Jerome Catholic Church (995 Silver Lake St., Oconomowoc, WI 53066). Final rest St Jerome Cemetery. Memorials to St Jerome Building Fund, Mt. Mary College, of VITAS Hospice. Love You More!
__________________
Mass of Christian Burial
Jane O'Brien
March 20, 1918 - December 11, 2009
St. Jerome Catholic Church
Oconomowoc, WI
Presider: Fr. John Yockey
December 17, 2009
First Reading Proclaimed by Dan O'Brien
Responsorial Psalm Proclaimed by Kyran Hamill
Second Reading Proclaimed by Jane Perry
Reflection Jane Reilly
She gave us life. She gave us love. She gave us, what she liked to call, the "Four F's" in this order; Faith, Family, Friends and Fun. She gave us all she had to give. And we give thanks for Mom. She "loves us more", and always will. Her legacy, we'll carry on.
I was fortunate to spend concentrated time alone recently with Mom, a very rare thing. She grew fond of telling me that she was so glad to be with "her oldest" because I remembered so many things from "the early years", as she would call them. She married Dad on a weekend leave during the war, wearing a white velvet gown, lovingly made for her by her Mother. It was exactly 9 months and one day later, that I came along on the scene. My earliest memories of those years were that they were very challenging for Mom, but I also remember all the fun we had. Mom always said, "The best things in life are free". She encouraged a love for the simplest things. Mom and I enjoyed reminiscing about our 2 bedroom flat on McKinley Avenue in Milwaukee, where Mom and Dad raised six children - three in one bedroom, three in the other. The 'master' bedroom was a pull-out sofabed in the living room. Those early years, without a car, years of beautiful baby after baby; cloth diapers, the old tub wringer washer, before permanent press, microwaves, or clothes dryers; and not a hair out of place, tucked into that tight bun- how did she do it? She was so resourceful. So determined. So giving. So caring. So strong. So "making the very best of it all". Making do. By believing, of course, in keeping with her faith, that the Lord will provide.
And provide God did! After those earliest years, the fun really began. After five girls, brother Dan came along; as did the need for at least one more bedroom, but never mind a second bathroom. The beautiful, much bigger, 3 story house on Shepard became our first real home in a bustling neighborhood, bursting with over 100 children on the block, for sports teams in the street, and games of 'kick the can' and 'chase' until the street lights came on. It was not a coincidence that Mom and Dad bought homes on streets referencing the religious: the Good Shepard Avenue; and later, Mother Mary Lane. Miracles abounded day to day. How did that pot of 8 potatoes end up mashed enough to feed 13, plus any neighborhood stray child who regularly popped in around dinnertime? But in keeping with her faith, 'twas the loaves and fishes no doubt, or should I say Otto's day-old bread and fish sticks! We had all we ever needed. In fact "our cup runneth over". We always had summer vacations together up north, and on Booth Lake, packing up the one car. Think about this now, with 13 people, and 'Boots' our rabbit, in the days before seat belts; 'luggage' for up to one month in the form of one Sendiks box each on the car-top carrier and, except for the lake fish Dad caught, all the food she needed to feed us the entire time. I was there, and I still can't figure out how she did it.
We did learn, through it all, that "less is more", sharing makes you richer, and never to touch that last spoonful of tuna casserole. That was Dad's - who just passed it back around the table to Mom, who always served herself last. Speaking of Dad, who adored Mom, he used to say 'who needs riches, when you have all you need in each other'? Dad called Mom his "One and Only", signing every greeting card with" O.A.O. She truly was a very rare gem, one of a kind, and will remain our "One and Only" beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother forever.
Mom took fun to a new level on Shepard Avenue. She surely inherited the Conarchy fun gene from her 1st generation Irish father, Kyran Patrick Joseph Aloysius Conarchy from Dublin, Ireland, who was a world class practical joker. She'd sneak out of the house at dawn every Fourth of July to start the day off with a bang, lighting a firecracker next to the milkbox at the back door; just before blaring the old Mahalia Jackson record, "America The Beautiful" from the old record player on the front porch, waking the whole neighborhood. Then she'd come back in the house complaining about "all that racket" and try to pin the firework on the Armstrongs, Witczaks or Schultes.
And, of course, Mom brought her exquisite sense of mischief and fun to the magic of Christmas. Oh, how those little Santa's brownies, as we called them, played with our young imaginations - leaving candy canes in our shoes on St. Nick's day, and notes from the brownies on our bedside windowsills, with little jingle bells, peppermints, or a sparkly ornament. We siblings exchanged one gift each, with our secret Santa, every Christmas Eve, after reading the nativity bible passage, while singing carols by the light of the advent wreath and Christmas tree. This was followed by more caroling door to door, and Mother hosting a large neighborhood and choir gathering following midnight mass, as if she had nothing else to do. Her faith deeply infused each Christmas with the radiant beauty of the beloved Christ Child, whose love she so brightly reflected to all.
But, oh yes, back to the fun! The Christmas ritual included a noisy game of spoons, which Louise always won. But any given day, there were cribbage matches with the 'outtatowners', cut throat Uno with any of her 29 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren, the "challenge dares" at scrabble, crossword puzzles each morning over coffee and, post chemo, her tea. How she loved golf, boat rides, and biking with her Oconomowoc friends, the cross country skiing, and brisk walks at sunset to enjoy God's fresh air. Mom so loved her spectator sports, too, keeping up with Marquette U teams, as well as whichever team Bret was on at the moment! Sadly, she lived her entire 91 and ½ years without ever seeing her beloved Cubbies win a World Series! Oh well, as she often said, that's the way it goes!
And then there were those tournament bridge games with her Mount Mary girlfriends. Before becoming the world's best wife and mother, Mom was a stunningly beautiful young woman, spending many happy days in Chicago with her loving family. Mom then spent her college years in Milwaukee at Mount Mary, making lifelong friends in her college club. Those young women shared her values and they stuck together through thick and thin, meeting monthly, without fail, for, amazingly, well over 50 years - monthly! They were BFF's to the fourth power, indeed the best faithful fun friends forever.
And then there's her dear, beloved and always delightful Conarchy family - and the mysterious tale of the Green Phantom! To get the full story on the Green Phantom, and so much more, you'll really have to ask Mom's siblings (Uncle Kyran, Aunt Marian, Aunt Ann and Aunt Lois, and sister-in-laws, Aunt Jane and Aunt Mary) to elaborate on this later at the Irish Pub. But it seems Mom took to the idea of fooling her younger brother Bill, another practical joker, into thinking he had a mysterious pen pal named the Green Phantom - and she continued fooling him for his entire life! Right before dear Bill passed away, but not a moment too soon, she decided to come clean and let him in on her little secret - that Mother herself was, indeed, the mysterious Green Phantom. Now Uncle Bill and Mom will be laughing together about that in heaven for a long, long time!
Mom's role was a traditional housewife and stay-at-home mother, except for the stay-at-home part. Once we had a second car, she managed to find time between stirring huge pots of cream of wheat and never ending laundry loads, to volunteer on boards, committees and clubs at St. Roberts, Dominican, Marquette, Mount Mary, and the Catholic Home, to name but a few. She even volunteered until her 90's at the Lutheran Home for the elderly on Lac Labelle, wheeling folks a good deal younger than Mom to and from mass weekly and, especially, Christmas Eve. She will be dearly missed this coming Christmas Eve. As many used to say, if she wasn't running our family, she'd be the CEO of a huge corporation!
Stamina was never in short supply. Once we had "built in" baby sitters, Mom and Dad visited Ireland many times, the first visit triggering her fascination with genealogy and the evolution of the prolific Conarchy family tree. Then, Mom and Dad had their annual Florida fun with fellow snowbirds, Dad's sister Aunt Ceil, and her husband, Uncle Jack End. Mom accompanied Dad on business trips all over the world with Briggs and Stratton, as far away as New Zealand. It seemed she had relatives everywhere she went, even in Christchurch, whom she kept in contact with throughout her life. She picked mushrooms in Sweden, and held a wombat in Australia, cruised Alaska and flew in a helicopter onto a glacier, and rode in a hot air balloon with Uncle Kyran. (Not Dad, because he said 'someone has to take care of the kids'.) And most recently, just the end of May this year, Mom piloted a seaplane like her childhood heroine Amelia Earhardt, flying over the last place she called home on Lac Labelle, a home she was only able to maintain for all these years since Dad died, in no small measure, due to a network of loving and loyal friends like Lee, Roseanne, Carol, Bill, Peggy and, most of all, her dear Doug.
She had a wonderful Fourth of July this past summer with more family, friends, fun and fireworks. She sat in the boat with Lou and Greg, and her glass of Chardonnay with 1 ice cube; and pondered aloud, as she often did these past few years, about the future, her age, her health. She was grateful always, but realistic about the inevitable. Little did we know, any of us, that just weeks later, everything would change.
The last five months have been extremely difficult and at the same time the most moving and powerful for all of us who knew and loved her. We watched her face one medical crisis after another with courage and trust. The worst part for her was being totally dependant for the first time in her life. She was always the caretaker, never wanting or needing to be on the receiving end of that kind of attention. She accepted each successive stage of loss with dignity, but also a sweet vulnerability that allowed us to be open with her about what was happening. She graciously allowed us to help her. Her large loving family pitched in as best we all could but, pivotal to it all, was the central figure that Mom had selected to shepherd her through these difficult days, her "little Lou". Mom, and all of us, will be eternally grateful. Through it all, Mom kept her sense of humor, and that uncanny ability to retrieve dates for sending everyone she knew greeting cards, and to come up with words no one uses for crossword puzzles. Although her traveling days were over, she still attended the last Hamill wedding. She was 'skyped' in to the service and prayed the 'Our Father' right along with the rest of the congregation. She comforted us as we struggled with our own fears about what was to come. She repeated over and over that she loved each one of us 'more', and that all she and Dad ever wanted was a large loving family. She made it crystal clear that she wanted us to take care of each other. In the end, she called out to her best friend and cherished husband, Bob - with her favorite term of endearment for Dad, 'honey', the last word she uttered. Now they are together again to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on January 3rd.
In closing, I want to read something in Mom's own words. This was written at the turn of our new century when she was just beginning to tackle the high tech world of email communication, with her trademark curiosity and fearlessness. She writes about challenges she was coping with at that time, but her words will now be held in our hearts forever:
"I was going to write each of you a separate note, but decided to make use of this e-mail thing. So much has happened recently, that has brought out the true meaning of the word 'family'. It certainly has been a mixture of sadness and joy. Through it all, each and every one of you, have been such a source of comfort to me, and to each other. To have us together during these emotional events, is something I will never forget. Dad and I have been truly blessed with the best family in the world. Remember always to take care of each other. Love you more and more all the time. Mother"
General Intercessions Ryan Berg, Sean Hamill, Colleen Hamill, Tim Hamill, Kevin Hamill, David Hosterman, Mike Hamill, Dan Reilly
Gift Bearers Sheila Hamill, Theresa O'Brien
Symbols presented by Brendan, Jim & Meg O'Brien
Communion Meditation: Ave Maria Sung by Alison & Claire Wadsworth
Recessional Bagpipes played by Brigid Hamill & Robert Brendan Hamill
Pallbearers Patrick Hamill, Bob Reilly, Jennifer Henningfeld, Tyler Reilly, Earl Hosterman, Jessica Umhoefer, Bill O'Brien, Alison Wadsworth, Ian O'Brien
Burial St. Jerome Cemetery Oconomowoc, WI
The celebration of Jane's life will continue at The Pub, 114 N. Main St., Oconomowoc
Baptismal sponsers were Marcella Phelan and Charles Lavery. Worked as a medical and x-ray technician. -------------------------------- O’Brien, Jane C. Was peacefully embraced by God’s loving arms on Dec. 11, 2009, at the age of 91 years. Loving wife and best friend of Bob for 53 years. Dear mother of Jane (Rod) Reilly, Margaret (Robert) Hamill, Katie O’Brien, Mary Pat (Earl) Hosterman, Elizabeth (Gary) Van Alstine, Daniel O’Brien, Eileen O’Brien, Sheila (Richard) Yerman, Robert (Barb) O’Brien, Kyran (Cyndee) O’Brien, Louise (Greg) Berg. Dear sister of Kyran Conarchy, Marian Weithofer, Ann Hunter, Sister Lois Conarchy SL. Sister-in-law of Mary Conarchy and Jane Conarchy. Further survived by 29 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by her husband W. Robert “Bob”, brothers William and Jack. All of Jane’s closest friends remember her as a vibrant Irish woman who lived her life by the four “Fs” - Faith, Family, Friends and Fun. A woman who never complained about hardships and who always remained faithful and lived life to the fullest. Dearly loved by all who knew he rand she will be greatly missed. Special appreciation is extended from Jane’s family to Dr. Michael Featherston, VITAS Hospice, Rev. Russell Hurst, Milwaukee Catholic Home Staff. Friends may visit on Wednesday from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM Prayer Service at the Funeral Home. Funeral Mass Thursday, 11:00 AM at St. Jerome Catholic Church (995 Silver Lake St., Oconomowoc, WI 53066). Final rest St Jerome Cemetery. Memorials to St Jerome Building Fund, Mt. Mary College, of VITAS Hospice. Love You More! __________________ Mass of Christian Burial Jane O'Brien March 20, 1918 - December 11, 2009 St. Jerome Catholic Church Oconomowoc, WI Presider: Fr. John Yockey December 17, 2009 First Reading Proclaimed by Dan O'Brien Responsorial Psalm Proclaimed by Kyran Hamill Second Reading Proclaimed by Jane Perry Reflection Jane Reilly She gave us life. She gave us love. She gave us, what she liked to call, the "Four F's" in this order; Faith, Family, Friends and Fun. She gave us all she had to give. And we give thanks for Mom. She "loves us more", and always will. Her legacy, we'll carry on. I was fortunate to spend concentrated time alone recently with Mom, a very rare thing. She grew fond of telling me that she was so glad to be with "her oldest" because I remembered so many things from "the early years", as she would call them. She married Dad on a weekend leave during the war, wearing a white velvet gown, lovingly made for her by her Mother. It was exactly 9 months and one day later, that I came along on the scene. My earliest memories of those years were that they were very challenging for Mom, but I also remember all the fun we had. Mom always said, "The best things in life are free". She encouraged a love for the simplest things. Mom and I enjoyed reminiscing about our 2 bedroom flat on McKinley Avenue in Milwaukee, where Mom and Dad raised six children - three in one bedroom, three in the other. The 'master' bedroom was a pull-out sofabed in the living room. Those early years, without a car, years of beautiful baby after baby; cloth diapers, the old tub wringer washer, before permanent press, microwaves, or clothes dryers; and not a hair out of place, tucked into that tight bun- how did she do it? She was so resourceful. So determined. So giving. So caring. So strong. So "making the very best of it all". Making do. By believing, of course, in keeping with her faith, that the Lord will provide. And provide God did! After those earliest years, the fun really began. After five girls, brother Dan came along; as did the need for at least one more bedroom, but never mind a second bathroom. The beautiful, much bigger, 3 story house on Shepard became our first real home in a bustling neighborhood, bursting with over 100 children on the block, for sports teams in the street, and games of 'kick the can' and 'chase' until the
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1918 - 2009 (91 years)