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

Mom’s Autobiography – Chapter 73 – In Book, Page 175

Augie’s Elite Cuisine Cooking Show, Fourth of July Parade, Watertown, 2008, Joanne Brandt’s Birthday, Tim Helps Jenny and Kevin Fix Up New Home, Jonah’s Third Birthday, Rehearsal and Wedding of Julia Mueller and Tom Pasch, Mom’s Article For Steph and Sami Jo – “MALARIA! IT’S NO FUN”

JUNE 30, 2008 – AUGIE’S ELITE CUISINE COOKING SHOW

Dick and I started attending Augie Magestro’s cooking show when we went to the City Hall on a Tuesday to vote. Dick saw Augie’s cooking show sign and said, “why don’t we go and see what that’s like”. So we did! It’s in the basement of the City Hall every Tuesday. When a person first goes in, Rosie Raatz and Karen Yvilsaker ask the visitors to put their names in a box. Before the show they pick names, and a person may receive a Perkins gift certificate or a Perkins pie (Augie and Kim, his wife, own Perkins). On May 13, 2008, I was blessed to have my name drawn and received a luscious strawberry pie! Wow, the strawberries were huge! Then the show begins. There are four people who are at the Chef’s table. They get to eat everything Augie cooks in front of them. Tim, Sue, Jenny, Timmy, Matt, Holly, Dick, and I have been guests at the Chef’s table. My cousin’s (Louis Kuckkan) wife, Ora, video tapes the shows. The food Augie cooks is delicious, and we enjoy the shows very much. After the show and we are eating, the visitors are served by Kim the same kind of food on dessert plates which Augie has cooked. Sometimes there is enough left over for second helpings. We have met many wonderful people at the shows on Tuesdays, and try to attend as often as we can.

JULY 3, 2008 – THE FOURTH OF JULY PARADE

We were invited by Jenny and Kevin to watch the yearly parade from the front lawn of their Dewey Avenue home. Dick is sitting in a lawn chair and For Sale and Sold signs are on the lawn on a picture in our album. Jenny and Kevin have bought the home. The parade would pass by their home on its way to Riverside Park which is very near. There were many bands, floats (one was of our soldiers raising the American flag on Iwo-Jima), clowns, horses, etc. It was great! My mother used to ride her horse in the Watertown parades, but sadly, we didn’t get to see her because we were missionaries in Africa.

JULY 5, 2008 – JOANNE BRANDT’S BIRTHDAY

All of us gathered at Sue and Tim’s home to celebrate Joanne’s 68th birthday. The weather was perfect, so we ate a delicious dinner out on the deck, and of course, there was a special cake and beautiful gifts. Jerry, Joanne’s husband, all of Sue and Tim’s family, including Jenny, Kevin, Joshua, Jonah, Conner, Timmy, Chris, Matt, Holly (Matt’s girlfriend), Julie, Tom, and we were there.

JULY 15, 2008 – TIM HELPS FIX UP JENNY AND KEVIN’S NEW HOME

A big window facing the carport has been taken out, and the outer wall bricked up. A space for a small window has been left. Now studs are being put up to make a wall where the window has been so that dry wall can be put up. Also, the plan is to cut off some of the dining room area and put a bathroom and storage room with doors at the end of the room. There isn’t a bathroom downstairs – many of the older homes had one bathroom which was upstairs. We thank God for our son, Tim, for his many talents. He makes things happen, just like his father.

JULY 22, 2008 – JONAH POSTON’S 3RD BIRTHDAY

Again we gathered on Sue and Tim’s wonderful spacious deck to celebrate Jonah’s 3rd birthday. Colleen and Bill Poston, Kevin’s parents, from Madison were with us this time. The food was extra-ordinary, and the cake was especially baked by Jonah’s Mom, Jenny. He received many nice gifts. Our families are always so happy when we have gatherings. Dick and I have much to be thankful for.

AUGUST 1 AND 2, 2008 – THE REHEARSAL AND WEDDING OF JULIE MUELLER AND TOM PASCH

The rehearsal for the wedding was at Luther Preparatory School (formerly Northwestern Prep) Chapel, 1300 Western Avenue, Watertown, Wisconsin. What a joy it was to see Dick again at the altar officiating along with Tim, our son and father of the bride. And to see our loved ones coming down the aisle both during the rehearsal and the wedding ceremony – what a thrill! All of them are so beautiful and handsome. Our dear granddaughter, Julie, looked radiant! Dick read the Scripture readings – Jeremiah 17:5-8 and Ephesians 4:24-5:2. The wedding address was preached by Tim based on Colossians 3:12-14. Again, both Dick and Tim did so well.

An item of interest might be that our brother-in-law, Donald Nehls (my sister, Beatrice’s husband) was one of the bricklayers who helped build the Luther Prep chapel. Besides all the lovely wedding pictures, a group picture was taken of all of our family members. Wow, quite a great group! How blessed we are! Laura Weiland brought her friend, Yuina Yasuoka, from Japan. She was an exchange student who was living with Sue, Jim, and family while she was in the States. The wedding reception was held at the beautiful Windwood Country Club, Watertown, Wisconsin. We were blessed to see and visit with some relatives and friends who we hadn’t seen for some time.

On Sunday we were invited to Sue and Tim’s home for the opening of gifts by Julie and Tom. Tables and chairs had been set up in their garage for the occasion. Julie and Tom received many wonderful gifts to remember their relatives and friends by. It’s hard to believe that our little Julie is now a married lady – Tempus fugit!

WE INTERRUPT THIS PROGRAM TO BRING YOU A VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT – MARCH 20, 2010 – “MALARIA! IT’S NO FUN!”

Our daughter, Stephanie, wife of Pastor Jeffrey Heitsch, pastor of Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cheyenne, Wyoming, called and asked me if I would write an article about malaria because I had experience with it. She and Jeff wanted to submit it to their Ladies Guild and Newsletter for a church fundraiser for malaria. I sat right down and wrote it and sent it via e-mail. So here it is:

MALARIA! IT’S NO FUN!

By Irene L. Mueller
Wife of Missionary/Pastor Richard W. Mueller

My husband, four children, and I (pregnant with Stephanie, our fifth child, wife of Pastor Jeffrey Heitsch, Cheyenne, Wyoming) were one of two families to start WELS mission work in Nyasaland (now Malawi), Africa, in 1963.

Malaria is a a very serious infectious tropical disease caused by mosquitoes. When we arrived in Nyasaland, we faithfully took Daraprim (anti-malaria pills) once a week.

Our oldest daughter, Debbie, was one of a few students chosen by their teachers (who went with them) on a school trip on a ship called the “Ilala” which traveled all around Lake Nyasa. When she came home, she was very sick with contagious hepatitis. The rest of the family also got it. Not only did I have hepatitis, but malaria, too! I had intense attacks of chills, fever, sweats, and great weakness. With chills, no amount of bed covering would warm me. My teeth were chattering. Then fever and sweating starts, and the covering gets kicked off. Then more chills come, and the covering comes on again. My skin was yellow from the hepatitis.

My loving husband called a doctor (ours was on vacation), but nothing was done. I was sick for I think about a month. I thought I was well enough to go to the cinema to see “The Longest Day” with the other missionary couple, but I had a relapse, and down I went again, sicker than before. If anyone knows me, they know I am not a complainer. This article is to let you readers know what malaria can do to a person.

When I was well enough, I went shopping. A Peace Corp lady saw me, came running over to me, and said, “Irene, I am so glad to see you. We heard that you were very sick.” She told me that a Catholic nun had died of the same thing. I thank God that He showed His loving kindness to me, and all in our family, so that we could continue to carry on His work among His children in Africa.

While on one of our furloughs from Africa (we were missionaries there for fifteen years – 1957-1972) I had an attack of malaria, starting with chills, soon after our arrival in the United States. My mother called their doctor. He had to look up malaria in one of his medical books so he would know what to prescribe for me. He prescribed Quinine, which thankfully curbed the attack; in fact, I was able to accompany my husband to Lakeside Lutheran High School, Lake Mills, Wisconsin, where he lectured about our work in Africa.

I have had one attack in 2001 after an operation. Again there were chills, fever, and sweats, so I knew what it was! Many people are suffering, and dying, from malarias. We thank God for the blessing of medications which He provides through you. Thank you and God bless all of you.

With Christian love,
Irene L. Mueller