MOM’S MEMOIRS – IRENE LOUISE (NEE KUCKKAN) MUELLER
(Continued)

Mom’s Autobiography – Chapter 29 – In Book, Page 68

Waunakee Exploratory, Births Of Becky, Travis, And Julia, Christmas In Waunakee, Jeff Graduates, Assigned To Isabel And Timber Lake, South Dakota, Birth Of Mitchell, First Rodeo, Jeff Called to Calgary, Canada, Birth Of Samantha, Deb and Glen Move To Colgate, Wisconsin, Nicki Assigned to Hustisford, Wisconsin, David Assigned to Crystal Lake, Illinois, Dick and Wanda Move to Anaheim, California, Vacation In California, Dick and Wanda Move To St. Louis, Missouri, Visit In St. Louis, Dick and Wanda Move To Orlando, Florida, Visit To Disney World And Sushi Restaurant

Dick, Steve, and I walked the streets of Waunakee, hanging door hangers (one lady appeared at the door saying, “I was just going to call you”), Dick preaching sermons on TV, letting people know we were there with newspaper ads, etc. One man, Mr. Rosenthal, a Wisconsin Synod Lutheran and Superintendent of Schools, made it possible for us to start having services in the cafeteria of an Elementary School. What a wonderful blessing! Every Saturday our members would go to the school to “set up” for Sunday, using the tables (one as an altar) and chairs of the big cafeteria. Since again we would be having all the church activities in our home, the house Pastor Gurgel found for us was perfect. I remember that when we had Vacation Bible School, we had classes taught by our wonderful dedicated volunteers, Dick, and me in almost every room of our home, and outside, too, with children all around that big long table our Steve had made in Crystal Lake! What a blessing it was!

We like the village of Waunakee. There was a restaurant by the name of O’Malley’s Farm Cafe (with horses in a pasture behind the restaurant) where we would go sometimes, especially when we had guests visiting us. O’Malley’s had delicious food. Sad to say, it is no longer there. There are other churches, a Sentry grocery store, Ben Franklin, furniture store, a lumber yard, a bank, and a few other restaurants. Waunakee at that time was not very big, so many people would go to the East Side or West Side Malls to do their shopping.

Our family was blessed with three babies in one year – Becky Weiland was born April 28, 1986, Travis Heitsch June 30, 1986, and Julia Mueller October 30, 1986, – WOW! When our families would come to visit, there were babies sleeping in playpens even in the utility room and Dick’s study in the basement. We have a picture which I took with a Polaroid camera on Thanksgiving Day, 1987, of all three babies with their Moms!

What wonderful family get-togethers we had in that big lounge of the Waunakee home! The Christmas of 1986 Dick and I dressed up as Santa and Mrs. Claus. Dick handed out the gifts to all the little happy grandchildren, and the big “children” too. I hung stockings up on each side of the huge fireplace filled with candy with the names of the children on them. They loved it! During the Christmas get-together of 1988, Dick said, “this has got to stop; we’ve got to have more grandchildren”, and Steph said, “Oh, yes, you will, I’m expecting a baby!” What a surprise for everyone! Mitchell Heitsch was born July 24, 1989, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, after Jeff graduated from the Seminary. He graduated on May 26, 1989, and received a divine Call to Peace Ev. Lutheran Church, Isabel, South Dakota, and St. Paul Ev. Lutheran Church, Timber Lake, South Dakota. Jeff’s parents, Carla and John Heitsch, and grandparents, Pastor and Mrs. Horlamus came for the graduation, as well as a lot of relatives and friends. It was a blessing to see all of them again.

On July 24, 1989, Mitchell was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was baptized at Lord And Savior, Waunakee, Wisconsin, on July 30, 1989, by Dick. When they moved out of the gatehouse, we were there. They had a cockatiel, Cuckoo. When Jeff picked up the cage, up, up, and away Cuckoo flew out the door, never to be seen again! After they moved, we went to Isabel, South Dakota, where Dick took part in Jeff’s Ordination and Installation. Also, we saw our very first Rodeo in Isabel. It was very exciting with the riding of the bucking broncos and bulls, but sad when a horse’s foot got caught in a rope around its neck, and half of its foot was dangling! I had fun horseback riding with Steph and Jeff at a member’s ranch. The rancher said I was a “natural” on the horse. Dick went riding around on the rancher’s four wheeler. Jeff had bought an old classic car which was kept on the ranch, but sadly he had to sell it when in 1993 he accepted a Call to Calgary, Canada. Samantha Jo was born May 22, 1992, in Hettinger, North Dakota, while they were still living in Isabel, South Dakota. Dick baptized beautiful little Samantha on May 31, 1992.

Debbie, Glen, Nicki, Dave, and Mark had moved to Colgate, Wisconsin, from Crystal Lake, Illinois, in 1988, so they were now in Wisconsin too. Glen worked at Marquette University, Milwaukee, as Paint-shop Coordinator, and Debbie worked at Park Avenue Beauty Salon in Mequon as a Receptionist. They had purchased a lovely home with a swimming pool in their back yard! David was confirmed April 24, 1988, by Pastor Wilbert Krueger at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lannon, Wisconsin, where Debbie, Glen, Nicki, and David were now members. Nicki had started school in the fall of 1987 at Northwestern Prep where her Grandpa and Grandma Mueller, uncles, aunts, and some of their spouses had attended. Nicki’s brother, David, started Northwestern Prep in the fall of 1988. In the January 17, 1989, edition of the Watertown Daily Times, both of their names were on the High Honors List. What a joy for us to now have a grand-daughter and a grandson attend the same school where we had met!

Nicki graduated from Northwestern May 15, 1991, with a 4.0 average. David graduated with what we think was a 3.8 average. Nice going, kids! David played football at Northwestern, and was known as “the Bear”. Both of them went on to Doctor Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minnesota, where they studied to become teachers, which they now are. After graduation Nicki taught at Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hustisford, Wisconsin (not far from Watertown), and David became Principal and Teacher at Lord And Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake, Illinois. Can you imagine how surprised and thrilled all in our family were when David was called to the very same church, and school, where his grandfather, my husband, was Pastor – AND the very same church where his parents became members when the family moved from California – AND ESPECIALLY THE VERY SAME SCHOOL WHICH DAVID (also Nicki, his sister, and Mark, his brother) HAD ATTENDED!!!!! Miracles never cease! Mark, Debbie and Glen’s youngest, attended Northwestern Prep, and then Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School, Jackson, Wisconsin. Mark won many ribbons and medals for his outstanding swimming ability. He parted with one of his medals when I asked for one. Thank you again, Mark.

Dick, Wanda, Cary, Kelly, and Christopher had moved from Wonder Lake, Illinois, to Anaheim, California, the summer of 1988, where he was transferred by Toshiba. They were members of King of Kings Evangelical Lutheran School where their children attended the Christian Day school. Dick and Wanda drove many miles to take their children to and from school. Houses are very expensive in California, so we bought their boat from them. We had not even seen it, but it turned out to be a beautiful blue and silver speedboat! It provided, and still provides, many happy hours of water skiing for our children and grandchildren at Lake Delton and also at Dutch Hollow Lake. They are superb at it. I tried water skiing which I loved – when I got up on those skis. Other times I was flying around at the end of a tube which was great! The boat was very nice, but all of us, our family and members of Lord And Savior greatly missed Dick, Wanda, Cary, Kelly, and Christopher.

We visited Dick, Wanda, Cary, Kelly, and Christopher in California. The Christmas of 1988 we received a wonderful gift “from all your kids and grandkids”, a trip to California to see Dick, Wanda, and their family. So away we flew! How happy we were to see one another again! They took us to Disneyland, and on the Catalina Flyer, a Catamaran, to watch for whales – which we did see! Dick also took us to see the Crystal Cathedral, the Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum, the docked Queen Mary, and the hanger of the Spruce Goose (a huge airplane which Howard Hughes built). And of course, we attended King of Kings Evangelical Lutheran Church with them. One of the highlights of the trip was when Dick was asked by our niece, Janet Kaye (my sister, Doloris and Dave Adkins’ daughter) and her husband (Philip Frazier) to baptize their daughter, Lacey Hadassah Frazier. She was born December 19, 1987, and baptized in Dick and Wanda’s home on February 14, 1989. We had such an unforgettable trip, thanks to our children, spouses, and grandchildren.

Dick again was transferred about May of 1990, to East St. Louis, Missouri. “Ma” Kuckkan, her dog, Tyke, Dick and I made a trip to visit them. They had built a beautiful new home. We arrived at night, and it looked like a house from a fairy tale, all lit up. Dick took us to see the St. Louis Gateway Arch. Ma stayed outside with Tyke, Dick and I visited the gift shop, and I think our adventurous son went up into the arch, which his sister, Susie did and says she won’t do again. The morning we were to leave, I heard crying. It was little Kelly crying because we were leaving.

Again, Dick was transferred, this time to Orlando, Florida, in May of 1992. Again, they were building a beautiful home. Our family gave us tickets and spending money for “Fun in the Sun” in Florida – our Christmas gift in 1992. How happy and surprised we were! So we left Milwaukee on January 10, 1993, and went to visit Dick, Wanda, Cary, Kelly, and Chris. We visited the church service at King of Kings where they were members, and where the children went to school. We went to a basketball game, and watched Kelly, a very cute cheerleader, on the very top of a pyramid of girls.

Dick, Wanda, Cary, Kelly, and Chris took us to Disney World, and we saw an awesome parade with Aladdin riding on top of a huge elephant, also a VERY BIG genie, etc.. We went to see some of the shows. One was MGM’s Indiana Jones on stage. They asked for volunteers, so our son put his hand up, along with others, and he was chosen to go on stage. What a ham! Our son and Dick were chosen to take part in a show where they were rocked in boats while steering them during a storm. There was water all over the place. What fun it was, but sadly, the video recorder’s battery decided to go dead, so we weren’t able to have pictures of that event. We also went to the Magic Kingdom where we saw Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Roger Rabbit, and other Walt Disney characters in an awesome parade. We went on a jungle trip river ride. We were absolutely “petrified” by all those fake animals – ha! Disney World really is something to see! Oh, I must not forget, Dick and Wanda took us to a “sushi bar”, a Japanese restaurant where they serve sushi (raw fish) and sake (rice wine). It was great! We also did Karaoke. We have two beautiful cups with Japanese writing and pictures on them to remind us of the fun time we had.