Mary (Grover) Ladwig
Mary (Grover) Ladwig, 80, tragically and unexpectedly died Sunday, October 6, 2024.
Mary was born September 29, 1944, in Galesville, to Henry and Evelyn (Duff) Grover and grew up on the family farm, Winghaven Orchards in Grover Valley.
Mary had the dream childhood for a girl who loved to explore. Adventures with her brothers, riding horses over the hills to Fay’s house, roller skating around the kitchen and dining room, swimming in the sprayer tank, tinkering in the shop with her Uncle Rob and following her dad around the farm. She attended her early grade school years at Maple Wood, a one-room schoolhouse. She graduated from Gale-Ettrick High School in 1963. Mary earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Technology from UW - River Falls. She was a member of Kappa Delta Psi. Following graduation, Mary worked as a laboratory technician at Waukesha Memorial Hospital. On July 26, 1969, she married Thomas Howard Ladwig at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Galesville.
Mary lived as a mother, a doer, a volunteer and a fixer. She became a mother in 1970 and again in 1973. The young family lived in New Berlin and then moved to Southern California in the Spring of 1975. In 1976, she added a third son and moved to their long-term residence in Canoga Park, CA. She made lifelong friendships through Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church. When the kids were school age, Mary became the church “secretary.” And although she would admit she did not type, she did do everything else — managing the directories, calendars, capital campaign, ran the annual White Elephant sale, cleaning pews, acting as foreperson for the church remodel and fixing the air conditioning units. Mary organized countless senior citizen lunches and showed up to help for any church function. She was a den leader for Scouts. Mary shuttled her boys (and their friends) around to skate parks, pools, bike parks, beaches, baseball, football and soccer fields. She was their loudest cheerleader.
Once the children were grown (and questionably mature enough), Mary moved back to Galesville with her husband in 2002 to be closer to their parents and extended family. California’s loss was the Galesville community’s gain. She quickly reintroduced herself to the St Mary’s Catholic Church parish where she was a parishioner, Eucharistic minister and lawn mower. Mary cherished being back close to mother, siblings and her childhood farm. She traded in a horse for a Mule and zipped around the trails of her childhood hills with unbridled joy, doing chores, picking berries, apples, asparagus, and morels. Mary loved to travel — RV, van, boat or plane, she was ready to go and experience everything life had to offer. She loved to share her stories, photos, vegetables, jam, juice, applesauce, quilts, lemon meringue pie, apple crisp and ultimately her love and laughter. Mary was a proud grandmother, showing interest in all their activities, participating alongside them when she could, and introducing them to many of her favorite things as well.
Mary is survived by husband, Tom; siblings: Gloria Wegner and Steve (Pam) Grover; sons: Paul, Greg (Joanna), Russel (Michelle); and grandchildren: Carissa (Daniel), Mason, Allison, Alex, Teagan, Henry, Tillie, Madilyn; and many nieces and nephews and dear friends.
She was preceded in death by parents, Henry and Evelyn Grover; sister, Barbara Hennessy; brother-in-law, Richard Hennessy; brother, Mason Grover; and brother-in-law, Vincent Wegner.
Visitation was held Monday, October 14, 2024, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Galesville, and again at the church on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. until the Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. There will be a light lunch afterward. Burial will take place after the Mass at Trempealeau Public Cemetery.
The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to their local food pantry, your charity of choice or St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
Online condolences or memories may be left for Mary’s family at www.watkowski-mulyck.com.
Watkowski-Mulyck Funeral Home of Winona is assisting the family with arrangements.
