Domenica "Menga" Milani 1922-2005

MILANI, BALDUCCHI, KRUG, THOMPSON, PERRIER

Posted By: David Hellwege (email)
Date: 6/27/2006 at 13:11:52

Domenica "Menga" Milani, 83, passed from this life on Monday, Feb. 20, at Israel Family Hospice House in Ames, following complications of leukemia. A funeral mass will be at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 24, at St. Malachy's Catholic Church in Madrid, with the Rev. Brian J. Danner officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Hope Cemetery, south of Madrid.

Domenica was born June 7, 1922, in Ricovolto, Italy, one of four children to Adolfo and Rosa (Stefani) Balducchi. She married Giuseppe "Joe" Milani Sept. 19, 1945. Thirteen years later, Menga sacrificed the familiarity of her homeland to provide greater opportunities for her family by immigrating to the United States. She and her husband settled in Madrid, where they made their home. She was a faithful member of St. Malachy's Catholic Church in Madrid. She was well respected by members of the Madrid community, and her 26 years of service was recognized with special honors at the time of her retirement from the Madrid Home.

Her passion was caring for her family; she also loved cooking and helping others. She held a devout faith in God and had an unsurpassed sense of duty and generosity for everyone. Throughout all of her sacrifices and suffering, she retained the qualities of faith, love, patience, generosity, kindness and thankfulness as she continually put others before herself. She did not complain or pride herself on her accomplishments. She will be greatly missed and forever loved and appreciated by her family, who feel much of their success can be attributed to her self-sacrifice and powerfully quiet example of a life led by faith and love.

She is survived and lovingly remembered by her husband of 60 years, Giuseppe "Joe" Milani of Madrid; four children, Rena Krug of Cedar Rapids, Clotilde "Tilda" Thompson and her husband Charles of Ames, Rico Milani and his wife Julie of Commerce Township, Mich., and Rose Perrier and her husband Brent of Grand Haven, Mich.; 12 grandchildren, Rita, Rebecca, Michelle, Michael, Nic, Maggie, Tina, Liz, Alexandra, Anthony, Anna Rose and Olivia; one brother, Antonio Balducchi of Italy; two sisters, Pasqua Petillo and Maria Palandri, both of Italy; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded into eternal life by her parents and one sister.

Visitation will be after 5 tonight at St. Malachy's Catholic Church, where the family will greet friends from 5 to 7 p.m. and a Rosary service will be at 7 p.m.

Sundberg-Kirkpatrick Funeral Home in Madrid is in charge of arrangements.

[Source: Boone News-Republican via the WWW.]