Jean Elizabeth St.Lawrence

Jean Elizabeth (Krueger) St. Lawrence, age 94, died at her home at Renaissance Senior Living in New Berlin, Wisconsin on the 5th of July 2021.

Jean was born on the 11th of December 1926 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to John and Louise (Klein) Krueger. She is survived by her two children, Randall St. Lawrence (wife Katherine) and Lisa Guidry (husband Jerome), along with her five grandchildren, Adam St. Lawrence (wife Salva), Jenny St. Lawrence-Gerharz (husband Eric), Kristin Guidry-Rolls (husband Marcus, Sean Guidry (fiancé), and John Bartosch (wife Sarah), along with her seven great-grandchildren, Haliee Gerharz, Natalee Gerharz, Ethan St. Lawrence, Lelani St. Lawrence, Nathan Rolls, Carra Bartosch, and Liam Bartosch.

Jean was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Elmer Edward St. Lawrence, and her siblings, Warren Krueger, Marvin Krueger, and Nancy Yonke.

Jean grew up near 17th and Kilbourn in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she graduated from West Division High School. During her childhood, Jean was an avid tap, ballet, and aerial dancer and a bassoon player for her high school band. After high school, Jean attended business school which provided her the skills and education to obtain her first job with M&I Bank.

Jean met the love of her life, Elmer St. Lawrence, while he was a soda jerk at the neighborhood drug store. But before they could start dating, Elmer was sent overseas to serve in World War II. However, Jean and Elmer wrote letters to each other during his service and then upon his return they began their courtship. Jean and Elmer were married on the 11th of October 1947 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

After the wedding, Jean and Elmer built a beautiful life together and raised their two children in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. When Jean became pregnant with her son, Randall, she left her job at M&I Bank but continued her bookkeeping skills by helping out at her family's business, Meyer and Krueger Florist on 27th and Wells in downtown Milwaukee. It was here that she developed quite a knack for floral design and became the green thumb of the family.

Even though Jean was busy supporting her family's business and raising her children, she was an active member of Whitnall Park Lutheran Church and a participant in the The Order of Eastern Star, Kilbourn Chapter, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In fact, one of her proudest achievements was serving as Matron of Honor for a year in Eastern Star. Her other claim to fame was catching the largest trout in inland waters in the state of Wisconsin, which my dad found ironic since my mom really did not like to fish.

Jean's selflessness and love for placing others' needs before her own was shown through her volunteer work in the summers helping children learn to read, donating mittens and scarves she knitted herself to children in need, supporting Elmer's activities in Masonic Lodge and Shriner's, and through the many sacrifices she made to be there for her family when they needed her the most.

Upon Jean and Elmer's retirement, they packed their bags and moved up North to God's Country into their lakefront cabin located in the North woods of Three Lakes, Wisconsin. During retirement, Jean enjoyed being a member of Faith Lutheran Church, the Red Hat Ladies Club, crocheting afghans, sewing Halloween costumes for her grandchildren, playing cards with Elmer and their friends, cheering on The University of Wisconsin Badger football team with her daughter, Lisa, an alum of the university, canning fruits and vegetables with her son, Randall, hosting her family at the cabin in the summers, and spending the holidays with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Jean will be remembered as a loving, thoughtful, and caring mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, as a strong-willed debater firm in her beliefs, and for her ability to make friends with anyone wherever she would go. Her fairness, loyalty, dependability, dry sense of humor, quick wit, and delicious fish frys will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

Services for Jean will be held on the 15th of July 2021 at Yonke & Son Funeral Home, 205 Prospect Avenue, Pewaukee, Wisconsin 53072. A visitation will be held from 4:30 P.M. to 6:30 P.M. along with a funeral service conducted by Reverend Kathryn Klatt from 6:30 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. Afterwards, all are invited to greet the family during a reception to be held at 7:30 P.M. at Thunder Bay Grille, N14W24130 Tower Place, Pewaukee, Wisconsin 53072.

Jean will be laid to rest alongside her late husband, Elmer, on the 4th of August 2021 at 9:00 A.M. at Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 21731 Spring Street, Union Grove, Wisconsin 53182.

The family would like to thank the caregivers at Forest Ridge Senior Apartments and Renaissance Senior Living for opening their hearts and giving their time to providing for the needs of Jean.

You can only have one mother
Patient kind and true.
No other friend in all the world,
Will be the same to you.
When other friends forsake you,
To mother you will return,
For all her loving kindness,
She asks nothing in return.
As we look upon her picture,
Sweet memories we recall,
Of a face so full of sunshine,
And a smile for one and all.
Sweet Jesus, take this message,
To our dear mother up above.
Tell her how we miss her,
And give her all our love.