Lucille R. Konrad

Lucille R. Konrad, age 94, of New London, WI, passed away on Thursday, May 8, 2025 at Living Tree Estates in Greenville. Lucille was born on December 20, 1930, in Maple Creek, WI, daughter of the late Walter and Isabel (Soletske) Young. Lucille was one of eight children. She was very proud of the fact that she helped her mom deliver her baby sister in the basement of their house!
Lucille graduated from New London High School in 1948 and attended Oshkosh University to obtain a Teaching degree. On August 16, 1950 she married the love of her life, Leon Konrad, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Bear Creek. Leon and Lucille lived in the Bear Creek area until 1991. It was in first grade that Lucille knew she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up. She taught elementary school for 30+ years in Clintonville and Bear Creek, including in a one room schoolhouse, parochial school and public school. She loved teaching so much, and she still ran into former students who remembered and loved her as their teacher.
Lucille retired in May of 1991. She and Leon bought a home in Ruskin, Florida and on Lake Metonga in Crandon, where they resided for ten years. Lucille loved being up north with family and friends! Visits consisted of time on the water, playing sheepshead, having campfires, eating lots of good food and walks to town for an ice cream cone. During retirement, Lucille enjoyed staying busy and being involved in the community. She worked part time in the Bakery at Festival Foods for four years, helped tutor students in reading, math and writing at Parkview Elementary for six years, and also did volunteer work for the Hospital Auxiliary in the gift shop for 17 years.
Besides being up north, Lucille enjoyed traveling, knitting, reading (a million books!), going to the pool, walking, yoga, playing sheepshead and cooking. Lucille used her talents to knit a blanket for each of her children and grandchildren. Lucille was one of the best cooks you'll ever meet. Everything had to be homemade and she rarely followed a recipe or measured anything! She was notorious for her amazing pecan rolls, donuts, bread and homemade buns. Her pecan rolls were such a hot commodity that all the grandkids hoped that was the gift grandma would bring them when attending their birthday party and then you had to quickly hide the pecan rolls so one of the cousins wouldn't steal them! You were truly blessed when grandma spent the day with you teaching you how to make her special donuts and rolls. Her recipe is one that will stay in the family forever. Sheepshead there could never be too many games of sheepshead. Every family gathering called for several rounds of it! Lucille typically found a location around town that played sheepshead each day of the week so that she could play everyday. She would get a little "disgusted" when she consistently wasn't dealt a picking hand, but she quietly enjoyed each and every hand she played. Lucille enjoyed her grandchildren and many great grandchildren, attending every birthday party, grad party, wedding, Baptism, First Communion, etc. that she was invited to. With 81 family members, that was no small feat! And do you know that she knew each and every one of our birthdays until the day she passed?! Incredible!
Lucille was a devout Christian. While at home she attended Mass nearly every day. She was on the prayer line and often helped with funeral dinners. She was awake at 5:30 am each day to get in all her prayers before breakfast, and you'd find her saying the Rosary every day around 4:00 pm before she went to dinner. As her children knew, if you didn't make it to church on Sunday, you better have a darn good reason!
Lucille will be greatly missed and is survived by two daughters and four sons: Kathy (Ron) Petit, Fremont, Cindy (Dennis) Berkhahn, Crandon, Gary (Cheri) Konrad, New London, Jim (Terri) Konrad, New London, Don (Diane) Konrad, Clintonville, and Mark Konrad, New London; 16 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren and two great great-grandchildren. She is further survived by two sisters: Margaret Krueger, Appleton, and Jean (Mike) Bellile, Hortonville; three brothers Harold (Audrey) Young, Appleton, Robert (Carol) Young, Bear Creek, and LeRoy (Noreen) Young, Black Creek. She is further survived by many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends, especially Evelyn Steinacker from Living Tree Estates.
Lucille was preceded in death by her husband, Leon, on January 14, 2000; parents Walter and Isabel Young; in-laws Roy and Loretta Konrad; two brothers, Richard Young and Duane Young; brothers-in-law Gilbert Krueger, David Konrad and Tom Flanagan; sisters-in-law Vera Flanagan, Norma Peeters, Evelyn Young, Bonnie Young and Lillian Konrad.
The Funeral Mass for Lucille will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, May 16, 2025 at Most Precious Blood Catholic Church in New London, with Fr. David Hoffman officiating. The visitation will take place from 9:00 am until the time of the service. Burial will take place in the parish cemetery.
The family would like to thank the nursing staff and administrative team at Living Tree Estates in Greenville as well as the Greenville EMT and First Responders for their care and compassion given to Lucille.
"How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."
-A.A. Milne