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

Mom’s Autobiography – Chapter 65 – In Book, Page 155

Artie Funair Passes Away, Death of Mary Kuckkan – Mom’s Aunt, Luther Prep Football Wins and Loses, Dad’s Hernia Operation, Mitch and Matt All Capital Conference Players, Watertown Daily Times Article and Pictures of St. Mark’s Choir, Article on the ROC in Watertown Daily Times – Home Away From Home, Death of Duane Thomsen – ROC Volunteer, ROC Buys Building on North Third Street in Watertown, Wisconsin, St. Mark’s Bulletin Announces Opening of the ROC new Building in May of 2010
 

OCTOBER 2, 2006 – ARTIE FUNAIR PASSES AWAY

My sister, Doloris’s (Lottie) husband, Artie, died in Rancho Mirage after suffering a second heart attack. She was at the Hospital to pick him up and take him home when suddenly he stopped talking and was gone. He was 77 years old. He was a football trainer at Cathedral City, California, High School, where he volunteered in the 90s. He was also equipment manager for the Green Bay Packers, the University of San Francisco, and the University of Notre Dame.

As quoted in The Desert Sun by former Cathedral City High School Principal, John Mendoza said, “He wanted the best for kids, and the best from kids. If he was on a kid, it was because he knew they could do better.” Funair’s touch extended even beyond the kids. He became a good friend of Frank Sinatra after semi-retiring from athletics Funair got tickets for a sold-out Army-Notre Dame football game in 1946, and Sinatra remembered him when he was at a local Palm Springs restaurant 30 years later. Funair later became Sinatra’s personal assistant and was by his side when he died in 1998.

Dick and I did not see Artie and Lottie often, but when we did, he was always very cheerful and friendly.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2006 – THE DEATH OF MARY KUCKKAN, MOM’S AUNT

The last of my Kuckkan uncles and aunts passed away at the age of 96 years. Mary was Pa’s (Henry) brother’s, (Herbert Kuckkan), wife. They were members of St. Mark’s church for many years. She and my uncle lived on Kuckkan Road, where their son, Ervin, and his wife, Ardis, still live. It is off Oak Hill Road (past Oak Hill Cemetery). They farmed in Watertown for many years. If you go to the Watertown Regional Hospital, there is a man-made pond in front of it, and that is exactly where their farmhouse was. That is what their son, my cousin, Ervin, told me.

OCTOBER 7, 13, 24, 28, 2006 – LUTHER PREP CRUSHES POYNETTE, LAKE MILLS, CAMBRIDGE, BUT LOSES TO DARLINGTON

According to the Watertown Daily Times, the Phoenix with both Matt and Mitch playing wonderfully, won the game against Poynette 35-3 at LPS. Then they defeated the L-Cats at Lakeside Lutheran in Lake Mills 28-15, and Cambridge 35-14. Wow, what victories! But alas – the Phoenix lost to Pecatonica-Argyle in Darlington. As quoted in the October 30th Watertown Daily Times: “After three straight dominating performances in the running game, you would have assumed Luther Prep would be able to overpower an undersized Pecatonica-Argyle team in its WIAA Division 5 Level 2 playoff game Saturday. Well, you know what they say about assuming.” The score was 27-3. That’s life, right!

NOVEMBER 14, 2006 – DAD’S HERNIA OPERATION

None of us are immune to what life throws our way. This time it was necessary for my beloved husband to have a hernia (testicular) operation. On Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 2006, because we couldn’t make it to Sue and Tim’s home, Tim, Sue, Jenny, Kevin, Joshua, Jonah, Timmy, Chris, Julie, and Matt came to our home and sang “Now Thank We All Our God” (three verses) to us. It made us very happy, and thankful.

NOVEMBER 15, 2006 – WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES ARTICLE AND PICTURE

“CAPITOL NORTH HONORS 23 AREA PLAYERS – Luther Prep places 11 players as all-Capitol Conference – Eleven members of the Luther Prep football team earned all-Capitol Conference Northern Division honors for the 2006 season.” And among the eleven players were Mitch Heitsch (first team running back) and Matt Mueller (first team defensive line). Wow, great job, guys! We are proud of you!
God has given you many gifts.

NOVEMBER 18, 2006 – WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES ARTICLE AND PICTURE

“ST. MARK’S CHOIR HAS BEEN SINGING FOR 115 YEARS”. There is a long article and two pictures, one of five choir members. The four women’s names are mentioned, but not my cousin’s, “Louis Kuckkan”. There is also a picture of the Director, Mr. William Birsching. The rehearsals are held in the parish hall. When I sang in the choir in the 1940s (during my Northwestern Prep years), we had rehearsals upstairs in an old building which is no longer there. It was to the left of the parish hall and was St. Mark’s old church, erected in 1855. Mr. Kurt Oswald, my eighth grade teacher was the Director. I loved singing in the choir.

DECEMBER 2, 2006 – WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES ARTICLE AND PICTURES

 

“HOME AWAY FROM HOME – AREA TEENS FIND REFUGE AT THE ROC”
 

“PT” (Pastor Tim – our son), as the ROC – Recreation and Outreach Center for teens call him, said in the whole page article that “it is a place where the teens have come to recognize as a safe haven, and they know they are going to be cared for, accepted, and treated as important no matter who they are. Whenever there is a discipline situation at the ROC, the teens know it is a place that gives them a second chance. We might have to discipline someone by having them out of the ROC for a while, but they always know that there is going to be a time when we will welcome them back and they always know we offer forgiveness to them.” Everything at the ROC is free to use which includes billiard tables, foosball tables, video and board games, computers with filtered Internet and televisions.

Also it says in the article. “Along with Mueller, there are about 25 volunteers who help out at the ROC. There is always at least two adult volunteers at the center at all times. Duane Thomsen, an adult volunteer with the ROC for over a year, said he first got the idea of working at the center while attending St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, one of the organizations involved with administering the ROC – “I know they needed some help and I wanted to get involved because you can’t leave it to everybody else” – Thomsen said. To help get the teenagers to have an interest in something else besides billiards, Thomsen started an open challenge to anyone who will play against him in checkers. If he loses to any teen at the ROC, he will buy them a pizza and a soda. But beating Thomsen is no walk in the park – he has only lost to one teen since he started the contest about six months ago.”

NOTE: Sadly, Duane Thomsen passed away on JANUARY 26, 2010 at 82 years of age. At least 18 ROC teens, volunteers, PT (PastorTim Mueller), his wife, Sue, many relatives and friends, and we came to his funeral at St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. Mr. Thomsen did not live to be with the ROC when it moves to its new location, but we know he is in a “HOME AWAY FROM HOME” – HEAVEN!  He is missed by all.

JANUARY 20, 23, 24, 2010 ST. MARK’S EVANGELICAL CHURCH BULLETIN

PEBBLES FROM THE ROC: By the grace of God, we now own a building for THE ROC AT 213 N. 3rd Street in Watertown. On December 30th, 2009. the papers were signed to close the purchase of the building (Carew Heating & Air Conditioning). We thought that the price of the building & lot ($120,000) and remodeling costs ($30,000) were beyond our reach until an anonymous gift of $50.000 was given to match a $50,000 Siebert Foundation grant. The $100,000 added to $10,000 in our ROC Building Fund leaves us $40,000 short of the $150,000 needed for the building and remodeling. An interest free loan (until the end of 2010) for the $40,000 was agreed upon by the previous owner. We are confident that, together, we will be able to give and raise that $40,000 by the end of 2010. We invite you to send your gifts marked “ROC Building Fund” to 1411 Wedgewood Drive, Watertown, WI. 53098. Carew Heating & Air Conditioning is allowed to remain in the building until the end of February when we will be able to start remodeling. Presently we are working on obtaining a Conditional Use Permit from the City of Watertown and putting together plans for the remodeling. We invite volunteers to help with the remodeling to keep the cost down. Thank you.

FEBRUARY 3, 6, 7, 2010 – ST. MARK’S EVANGELICAL CHURCH BULLETIN

The bulletin stated: “THE ROC will be moving to 213 N. 3rd Street in Watertown in May. An interest free loan (until the end of 2010) for the $40,000 was agreed upon by the previous owner. We are confident that, together, we will be able to give and raise $40,000 by the end of 2010”