Caren Sue Joseph

Our beloved Caren, born October 29, 1941, an ever-devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and all-around champion of the underdog. She peacefully passed away on August 24, 2025. Caren lived a life stitched together with love, laughter, family, and just the right amount of sass-qualities that will forever keep her memory alive in all of us.

After only dating her sailor sweetheart for three months they've been married for 62  years. With their anniversary coming up on September 7, 2025 her love for Joe will continue on. Caren showed us what real devotion looks like. Together, they built a home filled with love, laughter, good food, and the occasional cat hair on the furniture, because she could never resist taking in strays.

Born with a heart as big as her blueberry bucket, Caren was a master of many things: an excellent cook who could turn simple ingredients into feasts and somehow make sure you went home with leftovers whether you wanted them or not. She was the consummate seamstress who could fix anything with a needle and thread, and a crochet specialist whose creations warmed more hearts than just heads and hands.

Caren ran the household like a seasoned captain-only with more casseroles and fewer push-ups. Later, she spent years as a loyal bank teller, where her kindness made her more trustworthy than the vault itself.

Summers were her season: tending to her garden, canning enough food to survive a small apocalypse, and picking blueberries with a determination that could rival any professional forager. Her love for animals-especially her cats-was unmatched.

But of all her many roles, her favorite was being a mother and grandmother. Nothing brought her more joy than raising her children, cheering them on, and watching them grow into their own. Her home was always a place where love was canned and preserved just like her famous garden harvest.

Caren leaves behind her beloved husband Jerry Joseph, her son Wade Joseph, daughter Dawn and son-in-law Bruce Parker. She was the proud grandmother of seven grandchildren who adored her: Kayla Joseph, Zachary Joseph, Rainey Joseph, Drake Joseph, Cassidy Parker, Sarah Parker, and Darcy Parker.

She leaves behind a family who will miss her quick wit, warm hugs, and the way she made ordinary days extraordinary. Her legacy is one of kindness, resilience, and love-best served with a home-cooked meal and maybe a cat on your lap.

Memorial Service for Caren will be at 11:00 AM Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at Blaschke & Schneider Funeral Home, 1501 West Avenue S., LaCrosse, WI 54601.  Family and friends may visit one hour prior to the service.  Inurnment will take place at Riverside Cemetery in Genoa following the service.

The Blaschke & Schneider Funeral Home has assisted the family with her arrangements.