Morgan's Great-Grandpa Jule

My daughter's paternal Great Grandfather passed away Wednesday.

He had been ailing, so I was following their hometown newspaper online, to look for the news of his passing.

Last night, my former inlaws wrote us a beautiful and touching email about the end of his days:

I'm so sorry we've missed all your phone calls. It has been a horrendous week (Morgan - you'll have to look that one up!!!)

I'm so happy Morgan was able to see Grandpa Jule Wednesday. He was in pretty bad shape then - unable to say our names and quite confused. They did a CAT scan at the hospital and found that he had had two "bleeds" in his brain. Basically a stroke. They said he could get better or he could get worse. We couldn't understand him all day Thursday and he couldn't swallow his food. They did another CAT scan on Friday and found more bleeding. Shortly after that he went into a coma and never regained consciousness.

So we kept a pretty tight vigil Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday morning he decided to give up the good fight about 7:15am (almost the exact time we were supposed to be in the air flying to St. Lucia.) So Wednesday we did all the necessary things to set up a funeral and today and tonight we were packing up 98 years of a dear man. What an incredibly organized German he was!!!

So that's why we missed your phone calls. I'm terribly sorry I didn't call sooner or send you an email. I will attach the Obituary we wrote.

We wish you and Mike, Rae and Sam could be here - but luckily you all just saw him and can remember him that way.

I haven't looked at the pictures you sent yet - but will do so after I send this.

Take care,
Grandma Peggy (and Grandpa Chuck)

Jule was Morgan's Grandma Peggy's father. This email didn't quite sound like her, so we are of the bellief that Grandpa Chuck wrote it for her. That was nice.

I suppose it doesn't matter how long the loved one lived, or how old you are, a parent's a parent, and losing a loved one, especially a mother or father, is horrible - so emotionally and internally destabilizing - it changes the very definition of who you are and your relationships in the world.

Here is the beautiful, light-hearted obituary they wrote for their dear-departed. I had never had the privilege of meeting "Grandpa Jule," but I was in tears, mouring the passing of a good, good man, and empathizing with my former mother-in-law.

Jule P. Schommer, Wausau, died Wednesday morning, January 4, 2006 in the Palliative Care Unit of Aspirus, Wausau Hospital, after accomplishing 98% of his goal to live to 100.

Jule was born November 6, 1907, in Little Chute, Wisconsin. He married Lozelle Driessen on May 7, 1930, and she preceded him in death in 1997.

Prior to his retirement, he was plant manager for Hudson Manufacturing Company in De Pere, WI and Rockford, IL. After retirement, Jule and Lozelle lived in Rancho Bernardo, CA for many years. He moved to Wausau in 2000, and enjoyed the independence of living at the Wellington Place on North Mountain Road. He was proud of being the only resident able to use a computer to keep track of weather, sports, family travel and current events. He specially enjoyed email communication with his grandchildren and his collection of books and classical music.

Survivors include one son, Edward (Joan) Schommer, Walnut Creek, CA; one daughter Peggy (Charles) MacCarthy, Wausau; seven grandchildren, Jean (Jim) DeFreeuw, Walnut Creek, CA; Kristin Castagno, Walnut Creek; Mary MacCarthy, Maple Grove, MN; Maureen (Terry) Brick, Plymouth, MN; John (Christine Daniels) MacCarthy, Wausau; Kate (Steve) Zaver, Plymouth, MN; Mike MacCarthy, Longmont, CO and two brothers, Jerome Schommer, Kaukauna, WI, and Gerald Schommer, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Jule was blessed with twelve greatgrandchildren, many of whom were with him for his 98th birthday in November: Nicole, Emma, Jacob, and Ryan from Walnut Creek, CA, Morgan from Monterey, CA, Charlie, Mara, Ben, Will, and Maggie from Plymouth, MN and Rae Julia and Sam from Longmont, CO.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 am at Resurrection Church in Wausau. Fr. Steve Gross will officiate. Visitation will be from 9:00am to 11:00am before the services at Resurrection Church. Brainard Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Memorials may be donated to the Good News Project, Inc. for a house that will be built in his memory in the West Indies in 2007.

Sometimes it's difficult to move forward, no matter who you are.