MOM’S MEMOIRS – IRENE LOUISE (NEE KUCKKAN) MUELLER
(Continued)
Mom’s Autobiography – Chapter 38 – In Book, Page 91
Trip to Florida, Louisiana, and Texas, Steve Go-Carting, Reasons to Move Back to Wisconsin, The Move, Steve’s Marriage to Rebecca Ends, Belongings in Storage, Confirmations of Christopher Scott Mueller and James Richard Weiland, Birth and Baptism of Cassandra Nicole Chmielewski, High School Graduation of Mark Wilson and Jennifer Mueller, Matthew’s Broken Leg
ORLANDO AND TARPON SPRINGS, FLORIDA, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, AND TEXAS
We decided to make a trip to visit our son, Dick, his wife, Wanda, and their three children, Cary, Kelly, and Chris in their beautiful home, complete with swimming pool and Jacuzzi, in Orlando, Florida. We had a wonderful time with them. We were blessed to be there with them to celebrate New Year’s Eve in their home with them. Dick took us to see where he worked in downtown Orlando. Wanda took us to the hospital where she worked, and scanned Dick’s heart (all fine). She and I picked out flowers and leaves at a craft shop, and she made some beautiful creations for me to take home. All of us, including Carole and David Robert (members of Lord And Savior, Crystal Lake, Illinois), who also came to visit, went to church together,
Dick and I were fortunate, too, to go to Epcot Center where we had never been Dick and Wanda had to go to work, and the children had to go to school, so couldn’t go with us. It is a marvelous place – a world showcase! We were very impressed, especially at the end when there was a spectacular display of fireworks!
On the way back to the Valley, we went across Florida from Orlando to Tarpon Springs, on the west coast. Our son-in-law, Jeff’s, mother lives there. We had a great visit with her. She took us to a sponge shop. The man in the shop asked us if we wanted to go down into the water and dive for sponges. The diving suit was hanging right there in the shop. Oh, how I was tempted, but it cost quite a lot to do that.
We also stopped in New Orleans, Louisiana. What an interesting place the French Quarter is with its beautiful cast and wrought iron balconies! We walked through an interesting marketplace and bought a few things for our families, but didn’t stay in New Orleans overnight because we had heard about what happenings went on there. On the way out of New Orleans, we marveled at all the above ground graves in a cemetery we passed. While riding on the “Robert C. Lanier” ferry, we saw the “Elissa”, a beautiful “tall ship” making its way out of Galveston, Texas. It passed just behind us – what a sight with its three masts and billowing sails!
3RD ANNUAL ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION 1998 MINI GRAND PRIX RACE
On February 22, 1998, our son, Steve, again drove mini car Number 9 in the Mini Grand Prix Race for the Monitor Newspaper, where he worked as Systems Manager, along the streets of McAllen, Texas. You can find exciting pictures and info about the race in Album Number 54, 1998.
While in Texas, we received wonderful letters, cards, and great pictures from our families up north. Two pictures came from Debbie and Glen showing Mark in a cast because he had broken his right leg. Others showed more beautiful pictures of our granddaughter, Nicki, and Dave Chmielewski’s wedding. Others showed pictures of all our other loved ones in the North and in Canada – their lives – church, work, school, and other activities. We remembered the quote: “Only one life, Twill soon be past; Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
God talked to us. He, through people and things which happened, made it quite clear that we leave the Valley and move back up north to be with my mother, other relatives, our children, spouses, grandchildren, and not too far in the future, a great grandchild. Nicole Chmielewski, our oldest grandchild, was expecting a baby in May of 1998. How blessed we are!
The big red moving van came April 29, 1998! Steve and Rebecca’s marriage had broken up because of her infidelity with a man she worked with. We asked Steve to go back with us, but he said he had to finish some of his work at the Monitor first, and then he promised he would come. He tried to make the marriage work, but couldn’t. He helped Rebecca move into an apartment, giving her almost everything. When she found out that he was planning to go up North, she asked if she could go with him. She had wanted for years to go back to her family in Minnesota. Steve, being Steve, although hurt and devastated, said he would do that, packed a U-Haul truck, and both of them left the Valley after we did. She moved on to Minnesota, and Steve stayed in Wisconsin. Their divorce was finalized in 1999. Many times I have written to friends writing the words from the Bible – Proverbs 3:5 – “ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding”.
BACK UP NORTH
The moving van took our things to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, for storage, and Dick and I headed back to our park model trailer at Pioneer Park, the only place we had to live now. We were invited by our grandchildren, Chris, Julie, and Matt to come to St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran School, Fox Lake, Wisconsin, for Grandparent’s Day.on May 8, 1998. After watching a really cute skit put on by the children and enjoyed by all, we saw their classrooms, and afterwards were served a delicious meal.
MAY 17, 1998 – CHRISTOPHER SCOTT MUELLER AND JAMES RICHARD WEILAND CONFIRMED
We were privileged to attend Chris’ Examination Day Service, May 10, 1998. in which he and eight other children professed their unity in faith and doctrine with the Grace Evangelical Lutheran congregation, and expressed their knowledge of God’s Word through the examination process performed by their father, our son, Tim. My mother, Frances Kuckkan, sister, Beatrice, and her husband, Donald Nehls, came from Watertown to be there. Chris was confirmed in his faith the following Sunday, May 17th.
We were also privileged to be at James Weiland, Jr.’s Confirmation Day, May 17th, at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, Merrill, Wisconsin. He was confirmed by his father, James, Sr. Our daughter, Debbie, and her husband, Glen Wilson, and many Weiland relatives attended the very blessed service in which Jimmy confirmed his faith in the one true God, too.
THE BAPTISM OF CASSANDRA NICOLE CHMIELEWSKI – MAY 24, 1998
Nicki and Dave’s beautiful dark haired baby was born May 15, 1998, and was baptized in Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church, Hustisford, Wisconsin, by Pastor Timothy Bauer. What a joyful day it was! A five-generation picture appeared in the Watertown Daily Times June 5, 1998. The five generations are Cassandra, her mother, Nicole Chmielewski, her grandmother, Deborah Wilson, her great grandmother, Irene Mueller, and her great great grandmother, Frances Kuckkan (passed away September 24, 2002). Many of Dave’s relatives were there, including the twins (Janice and Joyce Suelflow) whom I had taught in first grade in Freistadt, Wisconsin, 44 years ago. Janice and Joyce were now 50 years old. That is unbelievable!
From Hustisford, all of us went to Colgate, Wisconsin, to Debbie and Glen’s home for a wonderful family get-together in honor of little “Cassie”. A “HERESHEIS’ candy bar was given to each guest. On the front of the wrapper, it also says: “CASSANDRA NICOLE CHMIELEWSKI’ – NET WT. 8 1bs. 12 oz., and on the back it says:
VITAL STATISTICS:
Arrived…………….May 15, 1998
Time……………………..4:48 p.m.
Weight……………….8 lbs. 12 oz.
Length…………………..20 l/2 in.
Birthplace..Menomonee Falls, WI
Mfd by DAVE and NICOLE CHMIELEWSKI
Beautiful gifts were opened, and as usual, all had a good time.
MAY 31, 1998 – GRADUATION OF MARK RICHARD WILSON FROM KETTLE MORAINE HIGH SCHOOL JACKSON, WISCONSIN, AND GRADUATION OF JENNIFER LYNN MUELLER FROM WINNEBAGO LUTHERAN ACADEMY, FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN
The morning of May 30th we attended St. Mark’s with my mother, where she and my father were life-long members. Pastor James Werner preached the sermon, and Pastor Karl Walther was the Liturgist. The afternoon of that day “Ma”, Mrs. Lierman (Sue’s grandmother from Watertown), and many others went to Fond du Lac to attend Jenny’s graduation and to Waupun where Sue and Tim had a wonderful reception in honor of Jenny’s graduation. Sadly, we were not able to be in two places at the same time (2:30 p.m.), so could not attend our Mark’s graduation. We have a picture taken June 1, 1998, of Matthew, Jenny’s brother, with a cast on his right leg (he broke it while playing soccer at St. John’s Parochial School in Fox Lake, Wisconsin), so he probably was in a cast at the time of Jenny’s graduation.