Mary Lou Augustine

Mary Lou Augustine (Thiese), 89, formerly of Monona, Iowa, passed away on November 21, 2023, at Cedar Community in West Bend, Wisconsin, where she and her husband, Richard have lived for the last three years.

Mary Lou suffered a broken hip and entered hospice care in September. She is survived by her husband, Richard; son, John (Jenny) Augustine of Milwaukee, WI; daughter, Brenda (Mark) Gabriel of River Falls, WI; daughter, Linda (Dave) Bures of Dubuque, IA; and son, Lee Augustine of Brookfield, WI; eleven grandchildren, Jacob (Amy) Augustine, Jonathan Augustine, Jackie (Dan) Schmidt, Emily (Levi) Myers, Ben Gabriel, Isaac Gabriel, Andrea (Chad) Anderegg, Josh (Hilary) Anderegg, Kyle (Rachel) Augustine, Kari (Wes) Lawson, and Kaja Augustine; 10 great grandchildren; and her sister, Ruth (Scott) Angle of Phoenix, AZ.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Audrey (Ken) Schroeder; and granddaughter, Amy (Bill) Less.

Mary Lou was the oldest of three daughters born to Emil and Lillian (Matt) Thiese on April 17, 1934, in McGregor, Clayton County, Iowa. She was baptized in St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, National, Iowa, on May 6, 1934. Mary Lou’s faith in Jesus began in her early days of confirmation and was evident throughout her life. She grew up on the (Theodore Matt) family farm working with her dad bringing in the hay, milking cows, and working the land as well as sewing, gardening, and preserving food with her mom. Enjoying her time in 4-H, she brought various entries to the Clayton County Fair each summer. Growing up during the depression also forged in Mary Lou the ability to reuse and recycle instead of throwing something away. She was “green” before green was a thing.

Mary Lou attended country school until 8th grade. Miss Rugman, her music teacher at country school, developed and applauded Mary Lou’s musical abilities in those formative years. Music, especially singing, became a connecting place for Mary Lou throughout her life. She graduated from Garnavillo High School in 1952. Mary Lou attended Wartburg College where she graduated with a BA in elementary education in 1956. While teaching in Beloit, WI, she met her husband, Richard, at a dance class. Square dancing became a lifelong enjoyment for the two of them. Mary Lou and Richard were united in marriage June 14, 1958, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Farmersburg, Iowa. They returned to Northeast Iowa, moved to the family farm in National and began farming on the same land where Mary Lou grew up. Mary Lou became the mother of four children in just under five years. In 1965, they purchased an 80-acre farm just outside of Monona, Iowa where they lived for 53 years.

Mary Lou worked in the MFL school district for 27 years, teaching remedial math and reading, and then 5th grade social studies and science. She had a lifelong love of learning. Mary Lou would incorporate her travels, her knowledge of nature, or whatever she was currently learning into her teaching. Mary Lou and Richard spent 25 winters in Arizona where she enjoyed square dancing, singing in choir, hiking, card playing, potlucks, and sharing life with people in the community of Desert Sun Condominiums in Apache Junction. She was known for her beautiful vegetable platters at the potlucks which Ruth and Scott also loved to attend. Mary Lou delighted in collaborating with others and performing for talent night. Her computer-made cards and photographs of the Superstition Mountains were well known and appreciated. Ever the teacher, her grandchildren learned about cactus and desert creatures as they hiked with her on visits to Arizona. Mary Lou honed her storytelling skills with the adventures of Coyote and Rattlesnake. Mary Lou and Dick made many friends while square dancing several times each week. Spending Christmas Eve with their square dance friends was a highlight for Mary Lou each year.

The early experiences of living on the land showed up in Mary Lou’s love of gardening and growing healthy food. Becoming a master gardener, she was always experimenting with what to grow and how to mulch it. She kept bees, and honey became a staple in her baking. Her grandchildren still talk about her applesauce. She made her surroundings beautiful with flowers and trees, even propagating the fern leaf peonies passed down from her mother and grandmother. The woods were a favorite place for Mary Lou with hiking, a creek, wildflowers, and Morel mushrooms in the spring.

Mary Lou and Dick traveled to Norway with Audrey and Ken, exploring the country, meeting the people, and digging into some genealogy. Germany, Switzerland, and Israel were places they explored together. The couple also made great efforts to travel to most anywhere their kids and grandkids had events going on. Mary Lou invited many people into her home over the years. Relatives, neighbors, friends, and people from various places and stations in life were all welcome. Food was usually part of it all. Mary Lou could produce a tasty pot roast and veggies from her garden. When fresh cream and eggs were abundant, homemade ice cream was a favorite. Mary Lou loved to experiment with ways to make something with less sugar still taste good.

Loving the hymns and music of the Church, Mary Lou participated in choirs and cantatas in Monona, Arizona, and West Bend. She sang in the kitchen, in the garden or wherever she was working. She prayed regularly for her family and friends. The farm girl from Iowa understood Psalm 23 - The Lord is My Shepherd - as God showed his faithfulness in her life.

VISITATION:  Visitation will be held at the Grau Funeral Home in Monona, Iowa on Friday, January 5, 2024, from 12:00 Noon until time of service at 2:00 p.m.

SERVICE:  A memorial service will be held at the Grau Funeral Home on Friday, January 5, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.

GRAVESIDE SERVICE:  Inurnment will take place at the National Cemetery in Clayton County, Iowa at a later date.