Obituary of Mary Ann Lauersdorf

Resilient, spunky, and a woman who persevered no matter what challenges came her way, Mary Ann Lauersdorf of Waukesha, Wisconsin left this world peacefully the morning of October 1, 2021, at the age of 88 after an extended illness.

She is survived by Lyal Lauersdorf, her husband of 66 years, along with their children Glen, Sally, Dale (Cindy), and Susan (Gonzo); grandchildren David, Felisia, Katy (Jake), Rebekah (Joe), Joey (Kate), Rande, and Tommy; and great-grandchildren Nevyn, Sura, Ayah, Zak, Willow, and Audrina. She is further survived by her sisters Betty, Patsy, and Shirley; brother-in-law Lynn; good friend Marlys; nieces and nephews; and many other extended relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents Joseph and Gertrude (Lukowitz) Schulist, her brother Gene, sister-in-law Hazel, brothers-in-law Bob and Fred, and grandson Tony.

Mary Ann was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, grew up on the East Side of Milwaukee, and graduated from Riverside High School. She and Lyal met at the Wisconsin Telephone Company where they both worked. They married in 1955, moved to Waukesha, and throughout the years, together they enjoyed dancing, dining, bowling leagues, and spending time at their “up north” home at Lake Arrowhead.

Mary Ann was a stay-at-home mom (aka “domestic engineer”) and volunteered for her children’s activities as they were growing up (Assistant Den Mother for the Cub Scouts, Cookie Mom for the Girl Scouts, chaperoning for various school outings, and others). She was a second mom to her children’s friends and neighborhood kids. She enjoyed working at the polls for various elections, kept up with news and politics, and held temporary positions at Kohl’s Department Store and Wisconsin Graphics. Her mind was sharp, she was great at math, and had an amazing memory for birth dates, anniversary dates, addresses, and knowing which nieces and nephews had which aunts and uncles as godparents. Bingo was a favorite pastime, along with knitting, needlepoint, playing cards, and going to the casino.

Never one to complain, Mary Ann kept pushing forward when faced with new health issues. Even near the end, she’d shrug her shoulders, smile, and say, “Well, what are you gonna do?”

The family extends their sincere appreciation and gratitude to the medical staff of the 4th floor at Waukesha Memorial Hospital for the wonderful care they provided to Mary Ann during her final weeks.

Visitation will be Friday, October 8, at Ascension Lutheran Church in Waukesha at 10:30 a.m. until the time of service at noon. The family welcomes memorials to Ascension Lutheran Church for their music department as Mary Ann was a longtime member of the church who enjoyed the chimes, the choir, and various musical performances at the church.