Saying Goodbye to Grampa

On Holy Thursday April 16, 2014, my Grampa, William Joseph Jauquet, passed away on his 97th birthday. He was a very holy man and I am confident that he is rejoicing at the feet of our Lord, with my Grandma. Grampa Jauquet was generous, relaxed, faithful, funny, hard-working and full of integrity like no other person I know. He commanded respect in the most soft-spoken way. I was a little intimidated by him when I was little because it was obvious that he had high standards. We would see him and Grandma at least once every year, when we drove out to stay with them for a 2 week vacation in Green Bay or they would stop in Baltimore for a visit in Spring to and from a golf trip. The visits started with a little apprehension but shortly Grampa's smile, laugh, and frequent wink, not to mention regular supply of Popsicles, put me at ease. On those trips to Green Bay we would occasionally return with a newer station wagon. Ours would stay in GB and we would drive home in Grandma and Grampa's. This happened maybe 4 times: the tan, blue, green and wood paneled wagons all originated in GB. This generosity continued throughout my life and we funded many household projects with the thousands that they gave us each Christmas.

When I heard of Grampa's death I was sad but also so happy for him. I told Megan that night at bedtime, that he lived a great life and had waited a long time for the reward of heaven. He outlived his wife and siblings and I was happy that it was time for him to enjoy God's presence with them. It was important to me to honor his life and legacy, and support my dad and his siblings, so Jim and I decided that I would fly out for his funeral. The flight to GB was the evening of Easter, so it was a sacrifice for Jim and the girls. We celebrated Easter together as a family but the extended family gathering was canceled because of the funeral and Easter did not have it's usual feel. I had to head out mid afternoon. I traveled to GB with Mary, Becky, Will and William. Joe, Magaly and their kids were in Indiana for Easter so they drove up for the funeral. Traveling with my siblings was a funny experience. From laughter at Becky's assertion of air mask assistance, to insulation over our hotel's breakfast area, racing with William and Will in the parking lot, and lastly our flight home and late connection causing us to run through the airport and eat trail mix for dinner.

Our time in Green Bay was made easy by the fact that Grandma and Grandpa modeled the gift of hospitality so well that it is 2nd nature for my Aunts and Uncles. Monday evening was the viewing at the funeral home and I was so glad to see all of my Dad's siblings gathered. My cousins all came in, from all over the US, except for Mike who was in the process of moving back to Wisconsin, starting a new job, and awaiting the birth of his second child. We missed him. The local family had gathered photos and put together wonderful photo boards to display at the funeral home. They also submitted photos for a photo slide show. I was pleased to see the photos, that I sent to Grampa after each of our GB vacations, of him and our girls, were a part of the slide show. It was nice to have reminders of our time with him flash on screen, behind our reminiscing and catching up.

Tuesday was the day of the funeral. They held a 2nd viewing at the church prior to the funeral Mass. Everyone in the family served as part of the Mass in some way. Mary did a beautiful job as the cantor and Dad shared history and hope in the Promise of Salvation in his homily. Tears were shed here and there but I think we all had to wipe tears from our eyes after Will prayed for the souls of William Joseph Jauquet and Claudia Francis Jauquet in the Prayer of the Faithful. Will's voice cracked as he tried to vocalize our communal prayer after a moment he regained his voice and lead us through it. I was asked to be a pallbearer and cried as I walked the Grampa's casket out of the church and into the hearse, with my cousins. It was an emotional but beautiful Mass. We followed mass with a meal at Wally's Spot, where we made sure to capture a few pictures while family was all together. After lunch the family headed out to the grave site to place Grampa's body to rest. We all stayed after the prayers to see him lowered into the ground.

Mary Fahndrich, Andy Jauquet, Kevin Jauquet, Brody Rentmester, Joe Jauquet, Brett Rentmester
Becky Shumaker, me, Mary Kurek, Will Jauquet
Christine Crane, Sam Jauquet, Ben Jauquet

Jim, John, Bill, Barb, Joe, Don and Deb

Debra Jauquet and Me

That evening we went to John and Kathy's and visited together, sharing a few stories of the past and our current lives. This hospitality was followed the next day by Don taking Mary, Becky, Will and William, and I on the Family heritage tour. I was glad to be able to record the audio of the trip and I hope to some day put it on a DVD with the pictures of the people who lived in the places we visited. Don and Sue then hosted us, my parents and Aunt Deb for lunch. Lastly we visited Grandma and Grampa's Schober Street home that they built in 1954? and just sold this month. This is the house of my Green Bay memories, we pulled up the same way we had on every visit in one of those station wagons and we entered through the brown garage. I walked through the door and the distinct pleasant smell of their garage greeted me. Then onto the back mudroom with the yellow bench cushion that had held the same toys for decades. The house was empty but so familiar. I could still hear Grampa say to Grandma after his first bite of food "Real Good, Claudie". The carpet still plush and the smell the same. I found my hand trailing on the door frame as I left, knowing I would not be back inside and knowing my grandparents were no longer a part of this life.

206 Schober Street, Green Bay, WI

My Grampa was an amazing man and I am so proud to be a part of his legacy. I pray he is welcomed into heaven and greeted with the words "Well done, good and faithful servant"

Come to his aid, O Saints of God,

Come meet him angels of the Lord.

Receive his soul, O holy ones;

Present him now to God Most High.

May Christ who called you, take you home

Angels lead you to Abraham.

Receive her soul, O holy ones;

Present her now to God Most High.

Give him eternal rest, O Lord,

May light unending shine on him.

Receive his soul, O holy ones;

Present him now to God Most High.

William Joseph Jauquet

April 16,1917 - April 16, 2014

Grandfathers' Grandfathers

I have seen some of my family tree and read with interest the dates of birth and death and marriage. I have been dreaming about recording some of the more personal information about my ancestors. What were their lives like? What type of people were they? These questions were also on the minds of my relatives in Green Bay and they had begun to find some answers.

We drove out to Green Bay to visit my Grampa and we were invited to go on a Heritage Tour by my Uncle Don. My Aunt Sue and Uncle Don had been researching our family tree for the past few years and generously put together binders full of information they had discovered. There were easily hundreds of hours spent documenting this research and then copying it. My brother Will and his family were also visiting GB and my parents were going to be there the week later. We were to be the first beneficiaries. Will, myself and Emma got the first tour. Uncle Don picked us up at our hotel and drove us to the place were the first Jauquet in America made his home. Pierre Jauquet immigrated to the US from Belgium in 1856. According to the Belgium records he left with his wife and 4 children. In their research they found the deed for the purchase of 40 acres in Namur, WI in 1860. We drove out to the site and saw the house that Pierre Jauquet built. Research provided important detail, but walking the land and climbing the worn steps provided a more visceral experience. My Great, Great, Great Grandfather cleared these acres, cut these logs and placed them to provide shelter for his family and 3 generations to follow. He worked this land to feed his family and make a living. He came from poverty, but sacrificed, became a land owner and through hard work set the foundation for his Great Grandson, my Grampa. Jauquets still own and farm the land and the owner opened the house for us. They lived in it up until 50 years ago but the sturdy hand hewn logs are still in good condition.

Our tour then took us through 3 generations on both my Grampa's and Grandma's sides. We visited the homes they built, churches they attended, and their places of burial. My grandmothers family donated the land for their church and graveyard. And my grandfather's grandfather donated an amazing stained glass window for their church. They were obvious people of faith and fortitude. After coming to the US with very little, I could see their pride in the homes they built and lived, with circular windows and decorative brick. They worked hard and I got the sense that they didn't take the good fruit of their labor for granted. I feel blessed to have received these gifts: the binder of info and pictures, the tour and stories, but mostly I feel blessed to know I am fruit of my grandfather's grandfathers.