Jennisch, Mildred Agnes (Gossman) -- 1912 - 2005
JENNISCH, GOSSMAN, MCCABE, VITIRITTO, PERKINS, CAROLAN, TLOUGAN
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 7/28/2012 at 13:07:59
Mildred A. "Midge" Jennisch, age 93, of Decorah, Iowa, died Sunday, December 18, 2005 at Oneota Riverview Care Facility in Decorah.
Mildred "Midge" Jennisch (née Mildred Agnes Gossman), age 93, who was a long-time resident of Decorah, Iowa, died Sunday, December 18. She had moved from her home on Day Street in September of 2004 and had since been living at the Oneota Riverview Care Facility.
Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah is in charge of arrangements, but there will be no visitation; no funeral mass will be held until Spring 2006 when her interment will be at St. Benedict Catholic Cemetery in Decorah.
Mildred was born on February 10, 1912, in Burr Oak Township, Winneshiek County, the first daughter of 9 children born to John A. and Mary Elizabeth Gossman (née Mary E."Minnie" McCabe, who attended the same school as Laura Ingalls Wilder, and whose great-grandfather Michael named the town of Harmony, Minnesota).
After elementary schooling, Mildred attended the Visitation Academy, a high school and boarding school for Catholic Girls in Dubuque, Iowa. This was in the midst of "the roaring 20's and she had four older brothers at nearby Loras College. It was "the time of her life." She enjoyed meeting people from all over the USA and, having graduated (Class of 1930), she set her sights higher and went on with her education, getting her teaching certificate at Iowa State Teacher's College in Cedar Falls (now U.N.I.).
On November 25, 1933, she gave up her teaching career to marry the love of her life, Charles "Scoot" Jennisch, a popular and well-known Decorah man who died in a tragic accident in July of 1955. Together they had three children: Cheryl, Margaret, and Bernard, all of whom attended St. Benedict School and Decorah High School and survive their beloved mother. They are: Cheryl Vitiritto, of Des Moines; Margaret "Maggie" Perkins, of Paris, France; and Bernard "B.J." Jennisch, who makes his home in Ankeny,Iowa.
Other survivors include seven granchildren and five great-grandchildren; a sister, Vivian (Sylvester) Carolan of Decorah; and two sisters-in-law, Helen Jennisch Tlougan, of Decorah and Irmy (Clement) Gossman of Encenitas, California.
Being one of nine children, seven of whom preceded Mildred in death, she was blessed with good health and a long life and had the pleasure of being surrounded by a multitude of relatives, nieces and nephews and loving neighbors and years of devoted caretakers. Her children thank them all.
If it's true that "it takes a village", we'll take Decorah.
Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database
St. Benedict’s Catholic cemetery
Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Jeff Getchell.
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