By Gwen Faust

Sarah Gray is multi-talented.  Among her many gifts, she has the voice of an angel, a keen eye for decorating, and a gift for recognizing talent.

Her glorious voice can be heard in song as a cantor and as a member of the St. Francis de Sales Sunday morning 10:30 Chorale.  She also is responsible for decorating the church as the chair of the Art and Environment Committee. And, she enjoys inviting people to volunteer to serve the church.

Growing up in Kenosha County, Sarah began singing in high school.  She is the oldest of seven children, all who can carry a tune, according to Sarah.   She attended St. John’s Catholic Grade School and graduated from Central High School in Paddock Lake.  

Following high school, Sarah became a certified dental assistant.  She practiced this profession for 20 years in Kenosha. During this time, she was blessed with two sons, Matt and Jake.  But, while she was busy keeping a warm and comfortable home for her family, she wasn’t singing.

“I didn’t sing again until my boys were old enough to behave in church alone,” Sarah said with a smile.

That time would come at St. Francis Xavier Church in Brighton.  She became a cantor and was active in parish work, including serving on the parish council.  She also made a big change in her professional life. She left dental work and became the Director of Administrative Services at two Wisconsin Catholic parishes.          

About 15 years ago, Sarah decided to join the St. Francis de Sales community.  She continued as a cantor and became involved with the 10:30 Chorale.  

Sarah considers her role as a cantor a joy and said, “You can feel the Spirit working through you when the congregation responds.  My role is to encourage everyone else to sing.”

Always eager to lend a helping hand, along with lifting her voice in song, Sarah became chair of the Art and Environment Committee about 10 years ago.  She is responsible for decorating the church to enhance people’s prayer experience.     

When asked what her favorite times of the year are for decorating the church, she thought about it while taking a sip of her beloved Diet Coke.  “Christmas and Easter,” she answered.

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Sarah Gray

She particularly likes the quiet moments leading up to midnight Mass at Christmas, “when the trees are lit, but the lights are dim.”  She also sparkles, when reminiscing about the lights being turned on at the Easter Vigil and “all of the candles and flowers are on display.”                        

Another aspect of her church ministry work that Sarah relishes is encouraging other people to volunteer.  She likes to recognize a gift in someone and then encourage him or her to use their gift to serve St. Francis de Sales.  For example, when she hears someone near her singing beautifully at Mass, she invites that person to join a choir. She feels that a “personal invitation is the most effective way to encourage volunteerism.”

When Sarah has time for herself, she likes to travel, especially to warm places, and bike on trails along Lake Michigan.  She also has a new role that she is enjoying, being a grandmother. Her son, Matt, and his wife, Aggie, recently welcomed their son, Liam, into the world.

In addition, Sarah has a new job in her active life.  She is the Director of Finance for Gesu Church, which is located on the Marquette University campus in Milwaukee.

From singing to decorating to volunteer recruiting, we thank you, Sarah.  You have enriched all of our lives with your caring and giving spirit.   

By Gwen Faust

George and Kathy Melcher met backstage while working on a production of “Romeo and Juliet” in a Milwaukee theater.  And, in the course of bringing the characters to life, they created their own love story.

They continued to work on a variety of shows together as part of the Milwaukee Players, which was a semi-professional theater group.  George pursued the technical side of the productions as stage manager. And, Kathy moved on stage to the delight of audiences.

Following a production of “Hello Dolly,” the couple were married.   Now, 46 years later, they look back over their busy lives with warm and loving smiles.

Kathy grew up in a suburb of Washington, D.C. and discovered that she liked singing, when she was about three years old.  And since her parents took her to see many Broadway shows, she had plenty of material to express herself. When she wasn’t singing, she enjoyed ice skating and took lessons from the Ice Capades, who ran ice skating schools.

Art also was significant in Kathy’s life.  She earned an associate’s degree in fine arts from Montgomery College in Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in art education from the University of Maryland.  Later, Kathy pursued master’s studies and certification in art history from Carleton College in Minnesota.

Kathy’s professional life included teaching art for a year in Annapolis, Maryland.  She then moved to Milwaukee. She taught art to students ranging from kindergarten to senior high in the Cudahy School District.  She also was chairperson of the art department at Cudahy. Kathy remained with the school district for 32 years until she retired.

George, the oldest of eight children, is a native of Milwaukee.  With roots in agriculture, he is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with an

emphasis in geography.    

His first job, following college, was a planner for the southeastern Wisconsin regional planning commission.  He was there for three years. Then he became the Director of Planning and Development for Kenosha County for 37 years.  He held this position until he retired.

George and Kathy resided in Milwaukee during their early married life.  They subsequently built a home on Powers Lake. Along the way the happy couple welcomed two sons, John and Ryan, into the world.  Since then, they have been blessed with two grandchildren, Gwendolyn and Wyatt, who are children of Ryan and his wife, Reegan.

After their wedding, George and Kathy reminisce that the first Mass that they attended on their honeymoon was at St. Francis de Sales.  Consequently, they were delighted when circumstances brought them back to St. Francis.

Kathy has been active with the music ministry at St. Francis for more than 15 years.  Having served as a cantor in other parishes, she is pleased to be a cantor with St. Francis.  She also belongs to the Sunday morning 10:30 Chorale.  

In talking about being a cantor, Kathy said, “I thoroughly enjoy bringing the congregation into sung prayer.  We have a singing parish.”

George has been a regular face at 5:15 p.m. Mass on Saturdays.  He has been an usher at this Mass for over 10 years and said, “I enjoy welcoming people into the church.”

The only drawback to their ministries is that George and Kathy rarely get to sit together at Mass, since they usually volunteer on different days.

When they are not busy volunteering at St. Francis, the couple continue to lead active lives.  

Kathy is back in academia as the director of community education at the Wheatland School District.  She also teaches painting, glass fusing, and clay pottery there. In addition, she shows her glass works and paintings at various exhibits.  Meanwhile, George particularly enjoys woodworking.

Thank you, George and Kathy, for your many contributions to the St. Francis community.  You both help to raise our voices and spirits in joy and prayer.

Raising a family, charitable works, and traveling the country are part of a lifelong journey for Allen and Lois Maywald.

Married 60 years ago, the loving couple bubble with enthusiasm, when looking back over the years, since they met at a high school Junior Achievement class in Chicago. At the time of their wedding, Allen was in the Navy and stationed in Newport, Rhode Island. The newlyweds enjoyed living on the east coast and in other cities in the ensuing years.

As time passed by they were blessed with four children: Bill, Don, Beth, and Douglas. They also have welcomed 11 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren into the family.

A service technician, who worked on large machinery, Allen retired from this industry to open a hardware store with Lois in Nederland, Colorado. They operated this store for approximately seven years. Then, due to health issues for Allen, they decided to retire from the store and pursue their dream to travel. For the next 10 years they toured the country in a Fifth Wheel RV.

During the course of their travels, they found a house in the Lake Geneva area that they liked. A major detour was still in their future, though. As a gift for their 50th wedding anniversary, their children gave them a cruise around the Hawaiian Islands. That week turned into a year that they stayed in Hawaii.

Back in Wisconsin, they continued to do works of charity that always have been dominant in their lives. As members of the St. Francis de Sales community, they both have been active volunteers.

Lois put to good use her secretarial background. She has been secretary for the Pastoral Council for about 10 years. She also is secretary for the Altar Society and secretary for the rectory committee. She is a former regent for the Catholic Daughters of America and is a familiar face at funeral lunches. Lois also volunteers at Mass as a lector and a Eucharistic Minister.

When she is not busy volunteering, Lois enjoys pursuing counted cross-stitch as a hobby. Her beautiful artworks are on display in our parish center. She created the kitchen blessings prayers…one in English and the other in Spanish…that adorn the walls outside of the kitchen.

While not counted cross-stitch, Lois uses her computer skills for the upkeep of the baptismal scroll of names that hang by the baptismal font. “I feel very honored to have work that I have done hanging in the church and in the parish center,” Lois said.

Lois also has volunteered in the community with Meals on Wheels, hospice, and the Aurora Vince Lombardi Cancer Center, both in terms of helping patients and as secretary for the volunteer association. Following three successful bouts with cancer over a 30-plus year span, Lois continues to volunteer for Aurora, in terms of assisting cancer patients. This is the same facility where she received treatments, during her third battle with cancer.

Looking back over her health issues, Lois said, “The Lord has helped me to get early detection of my cancers.” With a tender look at his wife, Allen reminisced about the past and his enjoyment of music. He started with piano when he was 10-years-old and added singing to his repertoire. He joined the St. Francis contemporary choir at the 9:00 Mass about 10 years ago. A bass, he has thoroughly enjoyed this choir that he calls a “close knit group.” His musical background also includes membership with groups like the Country Gentlemen’s Barbershop Chorus. In addition to choral work, Allen belongs to the St. Francis stewardship committee. He also spent several years on the church’s building and grounds committee.

Allen’s love of trains is apparent with his work with the Geneva Lake Museum where he keeps the toy train running. He also volunteered with the Illinois Railroad Museum in Union, Illinois where he worked on steam engines. Other activities that Allen is involved with include volunteering for Valley of the Kings Sanctuary and Retreat in Sharon, Illinois.

From lending helping hands to sharing talents, Allen and Lois demonstrate the giving spirit of the St. Francis community. We all join together to say thank you!

Parishioner Patti Black recently cleared out her things from her classroom at our school for the last time before summer vacation.  She is retiring as our beloved kindergarten teacher after 43 years of service.  This makes her the longest running employee at St. Francis de Sales School and Parish…EVER!  A graduate of UW-Whitewater with a degree in education, she and her husband Mike moved to Lake Geneva when he took an accounting job. She was hired by Sr. Lucille Flores and has worked for 8 different principals.  She started teaching at SFDS in 1974 and for seven years taught third grade.  She then switched to kindergarten and has been in that position since 1981. She estimates that she has taught about 900 children (including 3 sets of twins!). Class size has ranged over the years from 5 students to 31 students.

How has kindergarten changed over the years? Patti states: “Kindergarten went from three hours to an all-day program.  Kindergarten became more like the first grade curriculum of their parent’s time in school.  All kindergartners now come from some type of preschool program where they have learned to play and socialize.  The emphasis in kindergarten is on reading and language development.   Kindergartners now go to first grade knowing all of their letters and sounds and being able to read and write 3 sentence stories.  They also have been introduced to adding and subtracting and being able to count to 100.”   The most touching moment for Patti was when she was nominated for the National Catholic Educator’s Award.  “After all those years of teaching someone thought enough of me and my teaching skills to nominate me for an award.  It was very humbling to read what Eric, two of my teaching colleagues and two families wrote about me in the nomination letter.”

It’s very rare to hear of anyone at the same job for this long of time!  Her passion for teaching was a driving force.  “I have been so blessed to work at SFDS for my entire teaching career. At first I thought I would just be here for a year or two.  However, that thought quickly left my mind as I found a home with loving and caring parents who were involved in the education of their children.  It was a home and school team. I had wonderful children to teach.  I loved coming to school.  Each day I looked forward to coming to school and teaching.  I have had some wonderful coworkers who helped me grow both professionally and spiritually.  SFDS supported me in all of the stages of my personal life.”

What’s in the next chapter for Patti?  “I am looking forward to redecorating my house and tending to my many flower beds beyond the month of August.  There will be time to cook healthier dinners, exercise and read more books.  I plan on rediscovering my craft room and get back to scrapbooking and card making.   There will be time for lunch and coffee with friends.  I will be able to get back to doing things for our community and church.  However, most importantly, there will be more chances to go to DC and spend time with my daughter, Melanie, my son in law, Chris and my granddaughter, Mae.  I will be getting ready for my son, Tim’s February wedding.  Best of all, I hope to have time to travel and just spend more time with my very best friend and love of my life the past 45 years, Mike Black.  So forward I go!  Thank you so much for letting me be part of your child’s academic and spiritual development.  Thank you so much for all of the great memories.”  Thank you, Patti for making a difference in so many children’s lives!  

We will be hosting a reception for Patti this coming Sunday, June 30 after the 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses.  All alumni, parishioners, parents and students are invited to share some ice cream and say “thank you” to “Mrs. Black”.  We will miss seeing your smiling face around school but please know that your enthusiasm for learning and your love of God comes shining through in all of your students! 

For the past 25 years, Jeanne McCarron has quietly and steadily made a difference at St. Francis de Sales parish in numerous capacities. Initially recruited by Fr. Dave Braun, Jeanne started her volunteer career as a lector and served on the Prayer and Worship committee. She is also a Eucharistic Minister and helps to run our parish’s early morning communion services. She started up a program to bring communion to nursing homes and the homebound. She is currently our parish sacristan and also heads up the Bereavement Ministry.

Jeanne and her husband, Bill, have 7 children, 9 grandchildren and 3 greatgrandchildren. She spent her 45-year career as a nurse (including 27 years as surgical nurse and 6 years as a hospice nurse). As a little girl, Jeanne would accompany her mother to their church, as her mother was also the sacristan for their parish. The role of the sacristan is a “behind-the-scenes” one to help keep things organized for Masses. Here at St. Francis de Sales, Jeanne refurbishes the hosts and wine, maintains the sanctuary candle, launders the linens, towels, and purificators, straightens out the cassocks, makes sure that the priests’ microphones have fresh batteries, and generally keeps things in order in the sacristy. What’s the best thing about that? “It’s a holy place. So very calm and peaceful”, says Jeanne.

Jeanne was instrumental in starting N.O.A.H. at St. Francis de Sales. Named after her son, Noah, the acronym stands for No One Alone at Home. Now run by parishioner Lucy Leahy, the group has developed a schedule with volunteers to bring communion to people who are homebound. Along with Sylvia Navin, Jeanne also works with other local parishes to cover Lakeland Nursing Home so that residents can receive communion on a regular basis. In addition, she started another project, S.A.M. (Start A Movement) to care for the homeless which was named in honor of her other son, Sam.

One of Jeanne’s most meaningful endeavors is the Bereavement Ministry. In 2001, Sr. Evelyn asked her to take over this important endeavor when she retired. Jeanne says, “The Holy Spirit guided me from there!” Jeanne has a system to bring comfort and support to those in our parish who have lost a loved one. Judie notifies Jeanne when a death takes place and Jeanne initially sends a sympathy card from the parish. Three days after that, she sends a letter, and one week later she makes a phone call. She initiates prayers for the grieving at daily Mass and at the Divine Mercy Chaplet on Wednesdays. She sends letters throughout the year and calls on the 1-year anniversary. She usually manages 25-35 of these letters a month and is there to listen if people want to reach out. “I am blessed by being touched by so many people sharing their stories as they go through one of the most difficult times in their lives. Even though there is sadness, there is joy and laughter amongst the memories. Many say that they wouldn’t get through it without their faith,” says Jeanne. The people who have been the recipients of these caring communications give very positive feedback. “They feel comforted, supported and cared for, and very much appreciate the prayers, letters and phone calls.”

Thank you, Jeanne, for your dedication and your compassionate spirit. Your efforts have made trying times easier for countless people. We are very blessed to have your time and talent here at St. Francis de Sales!

For over 40 years, Linda Contant has been a dedicated parishioner and volunteer at St. Francis de Sales parish. She has helped out in many different capacities including being an aide to Rita Leahy for Wednesday Night Religious Ed, teaching her own CCD class, and acting as an usher. Currently she helps out at Mass as a Eucharistic Minister. You will probably recognize her also as a wonderful lector at 10:30 Sunday Mass (and other special liturgies), a ministry that she started when Fr. Dave Braun was the pastor. Linda studies the readings ahead of time to help her to convey the message effectively to the congregation. What motivates her to proclaim the Word of God? “I love the insights to the readings. I like that I have a better understanding of that passage and how they relate to the Gospel. Doing the readings has helped me to understand my faith better.”