Not too many of us can remember the wedding but Mary and I. It was at the Nilles house because at that time they could not marry in the church. But Fr. Ganz (Gans) from Marquette performed the ceremony, Mary Van Vleet Ross was a bridesmaid and I might have been the flower girl. I was only 6 but had on a cute dress. Lynne came down the staircase so beautiful and delicate. The ceremony took place in front of the fireplace . It was so beautiful . All these years later I still remember it.
Passed away holding the hands of her loved ones on May 19, 2015, at the age of 90.
Born on October 3, 1924 to Hazel and Elmer Nilles in Evanston IL, attended Lawrence University and graduated from Northwestern. She married, and loved, William B. Van Vleet, Jr. for 66 years, until his death in 2013.
They started their life together in Milwaukee WI, moving to Rockford IL, where they raised their 5 children. Retiring in Scottsdale AZ, Lynne came full circle and returned to Milwaukee WI after Bill’s death. She is survived by her brother Jack (Laila) Nilles of CA, her children: Terri and Ed Svetich, Susan and Paul Waldo, William and Carolyn Van Vleet, Monica and Pat McCarthy, Mark and Lina Van Vleet; 15 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.
Our mother loved family above all else, inspiring them to be loving and giving. She has many friends in many places, and she will be greatly missed.
The family would like to thank the entire staff at the Milwaukee Catholic Home Residence and Skilled Nursing 3W, and Dr. Sophie Kramer for their loving care.
Services will be in St. Anne Chapel at Milwaukee Catholic Home, 2462 N. Prospect Ave. Milwaukee Wi on Saturday, May 30 with Visitation beginning at 10 a.m. and Mass at 11:00.
Our mother was a woman of faith, who especially loved children and reading. In lieu of flowers, gifts to a charity that honors one of those or to the Milwaukee Catholic Home would make her smile.
To mom, family always came first. Rockford was the hub and we all congregated there. Holidays were so funfilled, full of laughter. The grandchildren also couldn't wait to be there. Mom truly loved all the commotion we created. We played board games, had fashion shows, makeup applying, baking cookies, progressive gin games and just talking and laughing. Mom taught us that family and love is what it's all about. Such wonderful times and memories. Although mom is now in a better place, she will always be with us, deep in our hearts.
811 Coolidge Place was the family home in Rockford, Illinois. 811 seems to be seen on the clock more often than not. I know it only comes twice a day but I swear I see it more than that. Nana would say when she saw it..."811, Holy Spirit!". My employee number is 811...my Checking account number ends in 811, California Pie and my iced tea at Mary's Market (a favorite order of Nana's as well) is $8.11. I was shopping with my mom and aunts at one of our favorite stores, JJill, and from the inside of the store, looking out the address in the window read, 811.
In Numerology...
The meaning of 11 is vision, balance, fulfillment. It contains sun energy.
8 balances the material and immaterial worlds.
811 indicates that one should surrender and release.
Nana has released us all into this harsh world knowing she has impacted us all...emotionally, intellectually and spiritually.
11-Nana gave me vision and fulfillment. She allowed for me to be me and to have my own ideas and opinions. She asked the tough questions and heard my answers, and while she didn't always agree with them, she let me have them.
8-She gave me a place to call home. I live in Rockford because of Nana and Papa. This was my consistency, my happy place and my safe place. While Papa gave me the lake, Rockford is all Nana. There is no place I go in town where I don't have a memory of her. That is my material world. Nana gave me my immaterial world too....my spiritual connections. She was a devout Catholic, I am not, and she accepted that. She let me know it was okay to be different....what mattered was God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit in my heart. I owe my relationship with God to her. It is mine, and mine alone. And that's okay, Nana told me so. No one else ever talked with me about my beliefs and thoughts and feelings like she did....
811-Today I surrendered and released my emotions. It's been a rough day. But in the sunshine and the tan on my skin, I know she is with me...with all of us....and we will see her again.
Mom converted to Catholicism when she met my Dad and was probably the most devout Catholic I've known. She firmly believed that every coincidence in lfe was the manifestation of God in the form of the Holy Spirit. She didn't believe in dumb luck and would always say "it's the Holy Spirit". She said it so frequently it became a common phrase our family would all repeat to each other whenever something positive and unexpected happened.
Here are a few examples that happened just within the last week...
Our Dad passed away two years ago and the night before Mom died I had a vivid dream of him dressed in his Sunday best blue suit (that matched his crystal blue eyes, which Mom loved so much). He was just waiting in what looked like a boardroom and appeared like he looked in his 40's. He was just waiting around and asked me, "Son, can you get me a ham sandwich?" I woke up shortly thereafter and thought, "What an odd dream!" Hearing the news about Mom's death just a few hours later, it all came into perspective for me. It wasn't a random dream. It was Dad and the Holy Spirit.
I contacted my Uncle Jack earlier in the week to let him know that Mom had a stroke the week before and was declining in health. He said, "I just dreamt of her last night." Later that day, in speaking with Monica who was at Mom's side the day before, Mom had a very tough day and slept most of the day as a result of her pain medication. However the one lucid thing she said to Monica was, "Where is my baby brother?". Mom passed away the next day. Coincidence? No, it was the Holy Spirit.
As we refllect on the fond memories of Mom and prepare for her funeral this weekend, I just realized that this week us Catholics are celebrating the Feast of Pentecost - the end of the Easter season and the descent of the Holy Spirit to the apostles. Coincidence? I think not. Mom always had a very strong connection with the Spirit and the timing of her passing was just another manifestation.
Going through mom's things, I found the following:
Written after her 85th birthday celebration;
Grateful for: One of the wonderful observations of my B-day weekend is the love you share with your siblings--How proud and funny you think they are, 'specially the boys & how your sisters revere you! How generous and thoughtful.
Kahlil Gibran: Children--they don't belong to you----you may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
"I've learned more from my daughters--than they have from me."
