Marie Konkol Obituary
Marie Konkol, 97, of Menomonee Falls, found eternal peace on Saturday July 8, 2023. Marie was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin on June 8, 1926. She was proud of her farming heritage. At a barn dance she met and later married Alfred Konkol on October 28, 1946. Together they raised 12 children and were married 62 years until Alfred's death in 2008. They laid a foundation of love and support which holds the family firmly together today. Marie knew instinctively and consistently what her family needed and was steadfast at providing it.
Marie really in a word was a "caregiver". It started in her youth as she cared for her nine younger siblings. At 14 years of age after graduating 8th grade, she began caregiving for an elderly woman during the week and would come home on weekends. A year later Marie took care of her nephew in Chicago. Marie was a stay at home mother during the childrearing years. It was in the home that she and Alfred nurtured 12 children into men and women. She carefully crafted encouragement, confidence, and "always" love for family.
Later Marie worked 18 years as a bus driver at Safeway in Brookfield. At St. James, Marie helped friends regularly clean the church, as they were famously called the "Holy Dusters". Marie also regularly provided help at funeral luncheons and the annual preparations for the church thrift sale. Marie had a friendly, unassuming way of accepting everyone. Being kind to everyone was important to her. This quality of acceptance endeared her to many.
She modeled the greatest love story for her family and friends as she dedicated herself to the care of her husband through his three and half year health battle toward the end of his life. When Alfred went to the nursing home she spent 8 hours a day at his side until his passing.
After Alfred's death, she reinserted herself into the community through the church's SOAL program, card clubs with friends, and rejoining the "Holy Dusters". The flower gardens at her Lannon Road home were beautiful. The number of great grandchildren grew by leaps and bounds providing many hugs and kisses and kept her lap full all the time.
In the past two years, despite Marie's own heart and lung issues that required frequent hospitalization, mom was always ready for visitors as she would almost always ask, "what's cookin?". As she wanted to know more about you and your goings on than talking about her own health.
The family thanks St. Camillus staff for all their time and attention to the care and well-being of Marie especially her aides Letrice, Kimberly, and Ruby.
Marie was preceded in death by her husband Alfred, her sons Michael and Lawrance, granddaughter Wendy Burlingham, son-in-law Mark Burlingham, daughter-in-law Valerie, as well as Marie's brothers Henry, Junior, Philip, Daniel and Edmund, and sisters Lucille, Bernice, Phyllis, Gloria, and Dorothy.
Marie is survived by her sisters Lorraine Lundgren and Delores Damask as well as her children Tom (Beverly), Bill (Julie), Fred (Candy), Linda Burlingham, Cindy Gitter, Dennis (Cheryl), Pat (Patty), Paul (Dorothy), Mary (Dave Eick), and Frank. Marie has 35 grandchildren and 70 great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held on Monday July 17 at St. James Catholic church, W220N6588 Town Line Rd, Menomonee Falls, WI. Visitation will be held from 9:00-10:45, Eulogy 10:45, Mass 11:00, Burial immediately following at St. James cemetery.
