Beverly Doris Chase

Beverly Doris Chase of Holmen, WI., passed away peacefully at home on Friday, November 12 ^th 2021 with family by her side. She was born at home on a small farm in Caledonia, MN., on November 21, 1929, to James and Lonie (Weis) Houlihan.

She grew up on her family farm with her sisters Rose and Lorraine. At age five she joined her sisters at a one room country schoolhouse as she entered the first grade, where one teacher taught grades one through eight. In the wintertime her dad took her and her sisters to school on a sled pulled by horses. If the weather wasn’t too cold, she would ski to school. She would carry a syrup bucket with her lunch in it to school and had to keep it near the big wood furnace in her school so it wouldn’t freeze.

When she was eight, her family moved off the farm to La Crosse, where she learned to roller skate and play the ukulele.

Following her graduation from Aquinas High School in 1948, she worked at the Wisconsin Theater in La Crosse, where she sold popcorn and candy and met her future husband, William Chase. They were married on November 6, 1948 at St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral. Together they raised ten Children: Nancy (Ken) Loging, Bob Chase (Sharon), Mike Chase, Dan Chase, Joe (Kathy) Chase, Judy Gunderson (Jim), Gerry (Steve) Wurzel, Char Chase, Bill Chase, and Ron Chase (Deb).

Mom was always there for all her children and grandchildren. Her days were filled with many loads of laundry, as well as endless hours of baking and preparing delicious meals for all of her family to enjoy. She loved life to its fullest, as she almost made it to her 92 ^nd birthday. She loved to bake, crochet, and take many pictures. Her photo albums she put together are a testament of how much she loved her family and will help us all remember the many great memories we had with her. She and Dad taught us that we could achieve anything that we set out to do. Above all, her kindness was her greatest trait, as she raised us with an unconditional love that will forever be cherished in our hearts.

Beverly is survived by 10 children, 37 grandchildren, 51 great grandchildren, and 5 great-great grandchildren.

She was proceeded in death by her husband William Chase, parents James and Lonie Houlihan, her sisters Rose Weber and Lorraine King and a daughter in-law Rebecca Chase.

She was a loving wife, mom, and grandma. Beverly will be missed dearly by all her family, and her memories will never fade.

Mom

You did so much for all of us,
when we were all young children.
You made sure we caught the school bus,
when we wanted to sleep in.
From changing all those diapers,
to washing all our clothes.
You sang rhymes of Peter Piper,
when wiping off our nose.
You combed our hair,
and brushed our teeth,
and cleaned behind our ears.
You showed you care
when we were chapped beneath,
and wiped away our tears.
You kept us home from school,
when we were feeling ill.
You made us soup to warm us up,
to help take away the chill.
You filled our lives with happiness,
with your kind and gentle ways.
From baking pies to mending socks,
and teaching us to pray.
Our lives will never be the same,
now that you have passed away.
But we will remember all those canasta games,
and know now you are in heaven with Dad today.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30am Thursday, November 18, 2021 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Onalaska, WI. Monsignor Steven Kachel will officiate.   Visitation will be held at the church on Thursday from 9:15am until the time of mass. Burial will take place in the La Crosse Catholic Cemetery.

We are so grateful to Nurse Jodie and all the staff at Mayo Clinic Hospice staff for their kindness, compassion and empathy in providing the comfort in our time of need. You were all wonderful!