Mom and Dad had entrepreneurial ventures. Mom and Dad opened the Fire Plug Snack Shop in St.Charles, Illinois around 1976 (top picture) across from the Arcadia Theatre. Later they also opened the Venetian Pizzeria in South Elgin, Illinois in 1980 (lower Picture). Dad also owned Regelbrugge Maintenance, which Dad did in the middle of the night.Mom and Dad worked hard to support their family of 6.

MOM WAS YOUNG SPIRITED...WHEN I THINK BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL OUR FRIENDS ALWAYS WANTED TO HANG OUT AT OUR HOUSE BECAUSE THEY LIKED MOM.  MOM ALWAYS CONNECTED WITH THE YOUNGER GENERATION BECAUSE SHE WAS FULL OF ENERGY AND "PISS AND VINEGAR" (HER QUOTE)....SHE EVEN WROTE LETTERS TO EXCUSE US FROM SCHOOL SO WE COULD GO WITH HER TO THE TRY OUTS FOR THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE WHEN THEY WERE IN CHICAGO!  SHE HAD A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR WHICH BALANCED OUT DAD.  AND SHE WAS ALWAYS IN TROUBLE JUST LIKE 1 OF THE KIDS...I CAN HEAR MY DAD NOW SAYING "DAMMIT JOANNIE"! SHE WAS ALWAYS GETTNG INTO MISCHIEF.  IT WAS FUNNY.

AS LIFE PROGRESSED MOM STAYED YOUNG HEARTED.  SHE TOUCHED SO MANY LIVES.  YOU COULD NOT GO INTO ANY STORE WITHOUT THEM KNOWING MOM'S WHOLE LIFE STORY AND HER KNOWING ALL THEIR BUSINESS.  SHE HAD A KNACK FOR CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE.  THE NIGHT BEFORE SHE PASSED I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH HER AND SHE WAS SAYING GOOD NIGHT TO THE NURSE THAT WAS GETTING OFF DUTY.  SHE STARTED TELLING THE NURSE TO ENJOY HER WEEKEND WITH HER BOYFRIEND AND GETTING INTO HER BUSINESS!  I COULDN'T BELEIVE IT...AS IF THEY WERE OLD FRIENDS.  CRACKED ME UP.....SHE WAS SO COMFORTABLE IN HER SKIN AND NEVER CARED WHAT OTHERS THOUGHT.  BEFORE SURGERY WE TALKED ABOUT HER FEARS OF GOING UNDER AND I TOLD HER THAT IT WASN'T HER TIME.  SHE HAD SO MUCH LIFE AND ENERGY IN HER THAT SHE WOULD PROBABLY OUT LIVE SOME OF HER CHILDREN!  IT WAS A SHOCK AND DEVESTATING THAT IT REALLY WAS HER TIME.  IT SEEMS UNFAIR TO LOSE BOTH YOUR MOM AND DAD.  BUT IT IS COMFORTING TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE BACK TOGETHER WHERE THEY BELONG IN GOD'S HANDS.  HER MEMORIES WILL ALWAYS LIVE ON IN MY HEART...I THINK OF THE GOOFY THINGS SHE WOULD SAY OR DO THAT MADE ME LAUGH.  THAT'S HOW I WILL REMEMBER MOM.  SHE WILL ALWAYS BE A BIG KID IN MY MIND.  I'M SURE SHE IS IN HEAVEN GETTING INTO MISCHIEF RIGHT NOW.  AND I KNOW SHE IS SMILING DOWN UPON US.