I’ve found that summing up a person’s life is quite difficult. Putting the basics in one of these is easy. But bringing the departed back to life for people to really know them is probably the most challenging.

Mom was born on August 25, 1932 in Bellevue, Michigan to Paul and Nora Wight.

That’s a good place to start, since it’s where she did.

Being born during the Great Depression, what they lacked in money, they more than made up for in family and love. And boy, did she have family! She had eight (yes eight) brothers and sisters. Being the second oldest and oldest girl, the job of helping out to raise the kids fell primarily to her. But in all fairness, being the tight knit family they were, they all did their part. I’m sure times growing up on the farm were tough, but in all her stories, I can’t recall her once complaining about any of it.

Mom went on to graduate from high school in 1950 as the Valedictorian of her class. She did a quick stint in college before taking her first job outside the home at Northrop King Seed. She eventually took a position with them in Minneapolis which started the ball rolling for the rest of her life.

She met Paul (or Dad as we were accustomed to calling him) through his sister, Marjorie. They got married in 1965 and soon started a family. They adopted two adorable children (in my humble opinion), Steve in 1967 and Susan in 1971.
She would take a job with St Croix County Highway Patrol, which became the Sheriff Department.

Many of you would have had to go to her office in Hammond to have her help register a car or get help with some state paperwork that, for reasons only government officials know, may have been confusing to us normal people. Mom always had a way of helping and making the frustrated leave happy.
After the construction of the Government Center in Hudson, her office moved there where she continued her duties as the Sheriff’s secretary among other duties. She retired in 1997 after 25 years of service.

She was a busy person. Working a full time job, helping with all aspects of running a farm, helping dad with his business paperwork and, of course, raising a family. But she always found time to have a garden (or two) in the summer. I can recall so vividly, mom would always do her weeding barefoot, bent at the waist only to stand up to wave at someone honking as they drove by. As she grew older, the gardening just got to be too much for her, but we all know she missed it dearly.

After retirement she took a job as kitchen help at the St Croix Central schools for a few years so she could be closer to her grandchildren. Eventually, health reasons would bring that to an end, but she kept her memories of seeing all of “her” kids in the lunch line.

I know I’m forgetting so much I wanted to talk about. Like her quick and sarcastic wit. When one of us would talk with her about something she didn’t quite approve of and we tried to sell the idea, her response was always “You think so, huh?” Which to anyone with a keen sense of self preservation would have known to give up on the idea (she raised a couple headstrong children who didn’t always get it) and that phrase was usually followed up with a “I may have told you so”. Regardless, she was always happy to help her family in any way she could. As long as they brought her a cup of coffee.

Mom was reunited with many departed family and friends on Monday, May 24th, 2021.

Mom will be remembered by her children, Steve (Amy) Ford of Hammond and Susan (Kelly) Ford of Beaver Dam. Grandchildren, Ashton, Reuben, Nolan, Raelin, and Ryan. Her sisters Phyllis Waltman of Battle Creek, MI, and Peggy (DeWayne) Jones of Dowling, MI, and her brothers Paul Jr (Marie) Wight of Bellevue, MI, and Dale (Lois) Wight of Phoenix area and Bellevue. And many, many Nieces and Nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father and mother, Husband Paul, her brothers Reuben and Burrell, sisters Virginia and Sally.

I know that Mom would have preferred a much simpler story told about her. “Why make such a fuss?” Well…Mom, you think so, huh?

A Funeral Service for Dolores will take place at 5:00 P.M. Friday, June 4, 2021 at O’Connell Family Funeral Home, 1010 Newton St. Baldwin, WI 54002, with a Visitation preceding the service from 2:00-5:00 P.M. at the funeral home. Interment will occur at the Hammond Cemetery. Services entrusted to O’Connell Family Funeral Home, 715-684-3434. Her service will be streamed, follow the link to watch her service live.