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Mary Frances Rucinski
1937 - 2025
BORN
1937
DIED
2025
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Mary Rucinski Obituary
Mary Frances Rucinski
August 20, 1937 - November 29, 2025
LA CROSSE - Mary Frances Rucinski, age 88, of LaCrosse, Wis., passed away Saturday, November 29, 2025 at Mayo Clinic Health System in LaCrosse. She was born at her Grandma Pretasky's house on Hagar Street in LaCrosse on August 20, 1937, to Edward and LaVern (Pretasky) Elliott. She was the second oldest of nine children.
She was married to Robert "Rusty" Rucinski. They have four children: Connie (John) Schultz, Marsha (Phil) Piggott, Chris (Elizabeth) Rucinski, and Ben Rucinski. Dad was an over the road trucker for many years, so Mom did a lot of the child rearing and household management by herself. She also worked outside the home at various jobs for many years, including the Holmen cannery, Northern Engraving, Garment Company, assisted living care provider, and professional housekeeping.
Mom was very creative. She built rock gardens. She planted trees. She made many Christmas decorations from old vinyl records, pine cone wreathes, plywood Santas and snowmen, etc. She enjoyed gardening and grew many species of flowers in her gardens, and her many indoor plants thrived under her green thumbs' care. She was a good seamstress, sewing and repairing clothing. She created and sewed clown costumes and clowned (as "Pickles") in local parades and senior citizen facilities with her little dogs Penny or Amore, and niece or granddaughter (as "Cookie"). She sewed Oktoberfest outfits for sale, and donated some to senior citizens.She made potholders for elderly. She was "crafty", making various figurines such as "gonks" and numerous other craft creations and projects. She enjoyed baking, many of her children's friends enjoyed her chocolate chip cookies.
Mom enjoyed reading books, magazines, and newspapers. She clipped or wrote down many of her favorite poignant, nostalgic, or (sometimes) whimsical; verses, poems, and short essays about life, love, nature, and faith, and displayed many of them in her home. Mom and Dad enjoyed dancing, especially the shodish and polka.
Mom loved her family very much. She was a kind, thoughtful, loving person, sending cards and letters to family members and friends on birthdays, anniversaries, etc. She was generous with her time for others. We lived in eight different houses, Mom made friends with many neighbors over the years, some turning into lifelong friendships. Mom enjoyed board games, especially Scrabble, which she relished playing with family and neighbors.
Mom was a woman of faith, she prayed, attended church on Sunday (even got Dad to go), watched Mass on TV the last two years due to mobility issues. She received the blessing of the sick from the Catholic priest several days before her death.
Mom is survived by her children and their spouses, sisters Sally Sobkowiak and Angie Nagle, brothers Edward "Bud" Elliott, Ralph (Sandy) Elliott, and John (Marilyn) Elliott. In addition, she is survived by 10 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and special friends Sara, Jake, and Cathy. She loved them all dearly.
Mom was preceded in death by her husband Robert, her parents, and siblings Vernie Ellis, Caroline Bielefeldt, Jerry Elliott, and in laws Ron Sobkowiak, Art Ellis and Ron Bielefeldt, and special four legged friend "Chester".
The family wishes to thank the EMT's and medical staff at Mayo Health System for their tender and compassionate care for Mom the last two weeks of her life. Mom, we are grateful your physical pain is now over, and now rejoined with Dad, Chester, and Grandma Elliott. We sure miss you and will love you always. The world needs more people like you.
A gathering of remembrance will take place on Saturday, December 13, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Dickinson Family Funeral Home located at 401 Main Street in Onalaska, Wis. Burial will follow at the Onalaska Cemetery for both Mom and Dad.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be directed to The Salvation Army, Good Steward, or Humane Society in honor of Mary, as she supported these organizations. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.dickinsonfuneralhomes.com
August 20, 1937 - November 29, 2025
LA CROSSE - Mary Frances Rucinski, age 88, of LaCrosse, Wis., passed away Saturday, November 29, 2025 at Mayo Clinic Health System in LaCrosse. She was born at her Grandma Pretasky's house on Hagar Street in LaCrosse on August 20, 1937, to Edward and LaVern (Pretasky) Elliott. She was the second oldest of nine children.
She was married to Robert "Rusty" Rucinski. They have four children: Connie (John) Schultz, Marsha (Phil) Piggott, Chris (Elizabeth) Rucinski, and Ben Rucinski. Dad was an over the road trucker for many years, so Mom did a lot of the child rearing and household management by herself. She also worked outside the home at various jobs for many years, including the Holmen cannery, Northern Engraving, Garment Company, assisted living care provider, and professional housekeeping.
Mom was very creative. She built rock gardens. She planted trees. She made many Christmas decorations from old vinyl records, pine cone wreathes, plywood Santas and snowmen, etc. She enjoyed gardening and grew many species of flowers in her gardens, and her many indoor plants thrived under her green thumbs' care. She was a good seamstress, sewing and repairing clothing. She created and sewed clown costumes and clowned (as "Pickles") in local parades and senior citizen facilities with her little dogs Penny or Amore, and niece or granddaughter (as "Cookie"). She sewed Oktoberfest outfits for sale, and donated some to senior citizens.She made potholders for elderly. She was "crafty", making various figurines such as "gonks" and numerous other craft creations and projects. She enjoyed baking, many of her children's friends enjoyed her chocolate chip cookies.
Mom enjoyed reading books, magazines, and newspapers. She clipped or wrote down many of her favorite poignant, nostalgic, or (sometimes) whimsical; verses, poems, and short essays about life, love, nature, and faith, and displayed many of them in her home. Mom and Dad enjoyed dancing, especially the shodish and polka.
Mom loved her family very much. She was a kind, thoughtful, loving person, sending cards and letters to family members and friends on birthdays, anniversaries, etc. She was generous with her time for others. We lived in eight different houses, Mom made friends with many neighbors over the years, some turning into lifelong friendships. Mom enjoyed board games, especially Scrabble, which she relished playing with family and neighbors.
Mom was a woman of faith, she prayed, attended church on Sunday (even got Dad to go), watched Mass on TV the last two years due to mobility issues. She received the blessing of the sick from the Catholic priest several days before her death.
Mom is survived by her children and their spouses, sisters Sally Sobkowiak and Angie Nagle, brothers Edward "Bud" Elliott, Ralph (Sandy) Elliott, and John (Marilyn) Elliott. In addition, she is survived by 10 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and special friends Sara, Jake, and Cathy. She loved them all dearly.
Mom was preceded in death by her husband Robert, her parents, and siblings Vernie Ellis, Caroline Bielefeldt, Jerry Elliott, and in laws Ron Sobkowiak, Art Ellis and Ron Bielefeldt, and special four legged friend "Chester".
The family wishes to thank the EMT's and medical staff at Mayo Health System for their tender and compassionate care for Mom the last two weeks of her life. Mom, we are grateful your physical pain is now over, and now rejoined with Dad, Chester, and Grandma Elliott. We sure miss you and will love you always. The world needs more people like you.
A gathering of remembrance will take place on Saturday, December 13, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Dickinson Family Funeral Home located at 401 Main Street in Onalaska, Wis. Burial will follow at the Onalaska Cemetery for both Mom and Dad.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be directed to The Salvation Army, Good Steward, or Humane Society in honor of Mary, as she supported these organizations. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.dickinsonfuneralhomes.com
Published by La Crosse Tribune on Dec. 6, 2025.
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