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- Grace (Baxa) Piefer-Gregorius, 92, passed into God's eternal kingdom on Tuesday, November 11, 2014. Grace was born to Frank and Anna (Hynek) Baxa at home on the family farm in Menchalville on March 6, 1922. Not always able to depend on their car, the family often traveled by horse and buggy or horse and sleigh when snow covered the roads. Sometimes their destination was a neighboring farmhouse where a quilting bee was in progress; the women stitched the quilt in one room while the men played cards in another. One of Grace's chores was gathering the eggs that her mother bartered for groceries. Sometimes Grace would hide an egg under her apron and take it to her grandmother who would cook it as a special treat. Grace and her three younger brothers grew up bilingual, speaking Bohemian and English. At her mother's insistence, Grace memorized the first grade reader even before she started attending the one-room school house in Menchalville; no doubt that's where the on-going legacy of valuing an education began.
Saying that Grace was a hard worker is an enormous understatement. She earned $3 per week at her first job as a domestic. Later, she worked at National Tinsel in Manitowoc. In those days married women were not allowed to work at the factory; the day Grace was married, she lost her job. Then she worked tirelessly caring for her home and family, helping her husband in his dry cleaning business, E-Z Cleaners, and walking an Avon route. She also worked as a cleaning lady at Wisconsin Public Service, St. Vincent Hospital, Cnesses Israel Synagogue and in many private homes. Well into her 70s Grace continued to accept cleaning jobs in homes of the elderly and teachers. She couldn't completely retire because these favorite clients were so good to her.
Grace married Pius Piefer at St. Boniface Church in Manitowoc on February 7, 1942. They had three children before Grace was diagnosed with polio in 1946. Her paralysis was so severe that she was not expected to walk again. She was treated with painfully hot wet wraps of wool at the Sister Kenny Institute in Madison; it was the newest and most controversial method of treatment. Grace also received the prayers of family members, and she recovered completely. Grace had four more children, and with Pius, lived a life full of love and challenge until he died in 1973.
After mourning her loss Grace rebuilt her life. She enrolled in driving school and got her driver's license for the first time, retired from Wisconsin Public Service and went to work at St. Vincent Hospital, made new friends, and went dancing at Kafka's Riverside Ballroom on Sundays. At one of these dances Grace was introduced to Joseph Gregorius. Years later Grace blushed when she admitted that Joe drove her home from the dance on the first day they met and blushed again when asked if she let him kiss her on their first date.
Joe and Grace were married on June 3, 1977 at Sts. Peter & Paul Church. Joe introduced Grace to a life that included golf, bowling, card games and travel. Joe died on September 18, 1996. Grace missed Joe every day, yet was blessed by the continual love and attention shown her by Joe's daughters and their families; they included her in family get-togethers, family time at the "lake," weddings, and many travel adventures. Grace also became more involved with her church, volunteered at St. Vincent De Paul, bought a treadmill and walked on it daily, and made new friends.
Grace devoted her life to providing for her family. She especially enjoyed cooking and could often be seen dancing a polka step through her kitchen as she worked. Her children grew up eating everything made from scratch: noodles and bread before pasta makers and bread machines were invented; pizza, when few people knew what pizza was; Bohemian kolaches and baked goods that made mouths water; pot pies, before they could be found in grocery store freezers; roasts and the best gravies; and from the family's huge garden, produce, both fresh and home canned.
Never taking good health for granted Grace led an active life. She exercised with Jack Lalane when she was younger, walked miles through the Bay Beach area after retirement, and walked on her treadmill when it was no longer safe to walk outside alone. She read everything available about the ever-changing field of nutrition and then scanned her mountainous collection of cookbooks looking for ways to implement the new science into her next meal.
When she had very little money Grace knew how to "stretch" it, and when she had more money, she continued to manage it with depression-era restraint. She was determined to be prepared for a rainy day.
Grace was a woman of few words. It was by example that she taught her children to have a relationship with God, to be proud of an honest day's work, to manage money responsibly, to be loving and loyal to their own families and to value life-long learning. Her children were blessed to be born into her arms.
Grace was a faithful woman who trusted God with her worries and thanked Him for her blessings. While her health permitted, she attended Mass regularly. On vacations to Florida, Colorado, Hawaii and California she would find a church to attend on Sunday. "God doesn't take vacations," she would say as she led her grown children and their families into a pew and knelt to begin her time in prayer. The walls and tables in Grace's home displayed her hand-embroidered religious pictures, numerous crucifixes, and statues of Jesus, Mary and the saints. Grace prayed daily, always keeping her rosary at her bedside.
In her 80s, Grace developed congestive heart failure and macular degeneration, and her life became more difficult. Still she cherished visits from family and friends and enjoyed a funny story and a heartfelt laugh.
Survivors include six of Grace's children and their spouses; Joseph and Linda Piefer, Carol Gonnering, and Andrew and Jacqueline Piefer of Green Bay; Donald Piefer of Burlington; Mary and Gene Thibodeau of Punta Gorda, Florida; and Barbara and Robert Snider of Greeley, Colorado; four step daughters and their spouses, Sharon and Stan Koenig of Madison; Diane and Tom Menard of Eau Claire; Linda and Tom Ross of River Falls; Terry and Wayne Kolberg of Medina, Minnesota; 22 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren. Other survivors include a brother, Edward Baxa of Whitehall and numerous nieces, nephews and other extended family. She is also survived by Lois Bodart and Bernie Kelnhoffer, two very devoted friends in Grace's final years.
Grace was preceded in death by both of her husbands, her son, Robert, her daughter-in-law, Karen Piefer, her brothers, Victor and Joseph, and sister-in-law, Elaine Baxa.
Visitation at Malcore (East) Funeral Home, 701 N. Baird Street, Saturday morning, Nov. 15, at the funeral home from 9am until the time of the funeral. Funeral Mass 11am Saturday at Saints Peter and Paul Church with the Rev. Anthony V. Cirignani, OFM officiating. Burial in Allouez Catholic Cemetery. Visit www.malcorefuneralhome.com to send a condolence to the family.
Grace spent her final years at Bornemann Assisted Living in Green Bay. The family is grateful for the kind and gentle care provided by her Bornemann family (with a special thank you to Ann). Grace's family would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Molly, Mary, Jennifer, Melanie, Gemma, Dr. Manning, Chaplain Tom and all the staff of Unity Hospice for the care and compassion provided to Grace and her family.
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1922 - 2014 (92 years)
