Lorraine F Brenner
Lorraine Holmstadt Brenner
Lorraine died peacefully at the Spring Valley Senior Living and Health Care Center on May 8, 2024.
Lorraine Freada Holmstadt was born March 16, 1931, outside Plum City, Wisconsin, to Frank and Sophia (Caturia) Holmstadt. As the youngest, the barn cats were her best friends. Her dad died when she was eight years old. Then five years later, she and her mother moved to Durand. There she met Bernard Brenner at St. Mary’s high school. The sweethearts married May 13, 1952, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
Lorraine was a full partner on the farm, milking cows, driving tractor, tending chickens (early days), managing a large garden, and the household. She was an active volunteer – with the Homemakers’ Club, Red Cross, 4H, St. Mary’s Rosary and Altar Society, St. Mary’s choir, and Durand Courthouse Museum, and actively supported the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation in honor of their children, Michael, Barbara and Nancy. She told her busy adult kids, “It’s okay to sometimes say ‘No’ to volunteer requests,” but of course, she didn’t take her own advice.
Lorraine was highly creative – a carpenter for the kids’ playhouse and furniture, artistic painter, skillful seamstress, and avid history researcher and writer. She enjoyed creating signage for events, float-making and for Highway 10 passers-by to see, cheering on the high school sports teams. Among her many writings were a 335-page “Descendants of John E. Holmstadt: The First Six Generations in America” (2004) and a 150-year history of St. Mary’s Assumption Parish (2010).
She was feisty-strong and faith-filled. Her determination to find the right CF medical care for two daughters extended their lives. Her faith also was strong and meaningful. And she loved gathering family together – both immediate and for extended-family reunions.
Lorraine is survived by son Gary (Marie Hillig); daughters Ruth (David Hunt) and Faye (Dan Owen); daughter-in-law Nancy Lynn (Klein); son-in-law John Tremble (Holly); son-in-law Todd Armstrong (Mary Jo Bowe); and eight grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bernard Brenner, infant son, Michael; daughters Barbara (Tremble) and Nancy Marie; son Bill; and grandson Austin James Hunt. Lorraine also was preceded in death by her parents and four brothers, Clarence, Paul, Beryl and Galen, and two sisters, Lucille (Zimmerman) and Marcella (Smith).
Funeral Mass will be 11:30AM Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Durand with Rev. John Zweber officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be from 4:00PM-7:00PM Monday at the Rhiel Funeral Home in Durand and one hour prior to services at the church on Tuesday.
Memorials are preferred to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Rhiel Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Durand, is serving the family.