'May we always be thankful': Readers from across Wisconsin share what they're grateful for

There’s a lot to be thankful for in Wisconsin.

Earlier in November, I asked readers to share what or who they’re thankful for, and we received dozens of replies.

I’m amazed at how many people responded, and at the stories they chose to share, and I’m thankful that so many of you trusted me with your stories. Some of them can be tough to read, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll read some of them through teary eyes, but a common theme stood out. Life can be tough, and everyone has struggles, but in the worst of it all, people can find something to be thankful for.

If you are struggling through physical or mental health issues, please find someone to talk to. Several of these stories show hard times, but people are thankful for those who helped them through it. There’s always help.

If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or text "Hopeline" to the National Crisis Text Line at 741-741.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, call the Wisconsin Addiction Recovery Helpline at 833-944-4673 or text your ZIP code to 898211.

Let’s kick off Thanksgiving with some reasons why people are thankful.

Doctors save lives.

Jean Reed, of Neenah, said she is thankful for Dr. Mark Westfall at the ThedaCare emergency room in Neenah and his staff. Her family brought her 2-year-old grandson in when he was not breathing and was in cardiac arrest. The team transported him to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, where they found a 5-pound tumor in his chest. He stayed there for almost six weeks, then continued chemotherapy at HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital in Green Bay. Reed said she’s thankful for all of the doctors and nurses who saved her grandson.

She’s also thankful for family, friends and strangers who have been praying. She said she’s thankful for everyone who donated gift cards, gas cards, money, blankets and toys to help relieve the financial cost, and she’s thankful her daughter’s co-workers donated their vacation days so she could stay with him in Milwaukee.

“I am thankful that our little boy is such a fighter and so brave,” Reed wrote. “I am thankful that God has allowed us to keep this precious gift named Allen for a while longer.”

Sacrifices are appreciated.

Darlene TeStroete from Oostburg said she wanted to thank her sister and her sister's husband, DeDe and Glen Koehler in Sheboygan, for adjusting their early retirement plans to take care of Darlene and DeDe’s mother. They brought her into their home for the past three and a half years, TeStroete said, when their mother could no longer live on her own.

Some people beat the odds.

Mary Navin from Berlin said she’s thankful to be alive.

She said she's grateful that on Oct. 25, 2013, officers were available when she dialed 911 before collapsing, and they were able to get into her home to save her life. She’s thankful for the teams of EMTs, doctors and nurses who took care of her after she suffered pulmonary embolisms with cardiac arrest.

Navin said she's also thankful for her physical therapy team who trained her brain to relearn how to do everyday tasks, so she can live independently.

Navin said only three in 30,000 people live through the same episode, and of the three, two need to live in an assisted living or nursing home.

“Some days, I mourn with these unknown people as I thank God every day for my recovery and subsequent years of life,” Navin wrote. “I was artificially kept alive for 32 minutes. What if somebody along the line gave up on me? What if I had suffered brain damage? What if the tables were turned and I was one of the 29,997 who did not live? That is my reason to be most thankful not only this time of the year, but every day, morning and evening, I give thanks and pray for the families of those who do not have the success story to share. I was able to come home by Thanksgiving. What a blessed celebration, even low-keyed that it was! I have the gift of life to be thankful for!”

Technology makes life easier.

Steve Jones from Bellevue said he’s thankful for his Apple iPad. Jones is an 82-year-old grandpa who lives in a retirement home. He said he’s thankful for the usual things, but his iPad helps him keep in touch with his children, pay his bills and review his doctor messages. He can also order medications, buy groceries, shop on Amazon, handle investments, watch television and movies, or use it to keep his mind occupied with puzzles.

“A strange but true item to be grateful for,” Jones wrote.

People are generous.

Lloyd Ter Maat from Cedar Grove is thankful for a group that teamed up to help the less fortunate.

Ter Maat said his church, First Reformed Church in Cedar Grove, started collecting beds for people in the inner city of Milwaukee about 25 years ago. The group brought about two loads per month to Milwaukee, and after a few years, they also began collecting furniture.

About eight years ago, the group talked to some retail furniture and mattress stores that let them pick up their trade-ins. Five years ago, the church bought a new truck and enclosed tandem trailer. Now, the group is averaging three trips per week to Milwaukee. Other people want to help, too, so the group began picking up items at a number of homes and estates.

Ter Maat said he is thankful for the support from his church, the men who volunteer each week and for a group of women from the church and community who have made more than 2,000 blankets in the past 13 years to give to people in need.

“When we deliver to some of the homes and discover that they have nothing, I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for all that he has blessed me with and for allowing me the ability to help others,” Ter Maat wrote.

Moms are special.

Kelly (McCarthy) Sommer from Rochester, Washington, said she’s thankful for her mother, June from Wisconsin Rapids, calling her an amazing, strong and courageous woman.

“She is an example to all and the best prayer warrior I know,” Sommer wrote. “She is an example to all and my only hope is that I become half the woman she is.”

Dads are, too.

Karen Bugni, of Marshfield, said her biggest blessing in life is her husband. Although he’s suffering from a chronic illness because of a movement disorder, she says he is her rock to lean on.

Bugni said she and her husband have two successful adult children who wouldn’t be who they are today if not for their father.

You can never say ‘thank you’ too much.

Janet Skiff from Neillsville said her husband, David, taught her to be thankful by example.

The couple met at college in 1960, and Skiff said she soon knew he was an unusual man, and she couldn’t figure him out. By Valentine’s Day, she realized he was just himself and he loved her, and she needed to start appreciating him. They were engaged the following summer and married a year before they graduated from college.

“Can you say ‘Thank you’ too much?” Skiff wrote. “I don’t think so. My husband always thanked me for preparing meals even though I didn’t know how to cook when we got married and my attempts at cooking were often less than tasty to say the least.”

The couple has been married for 56 years, and Skiff said she’s thankful for her husband, for his strong Christian faith, and for their good health at ages 79 and 77.

“May we always be thankful, even when hard times come,” she wrote.

It’s all about perspective.

David Schultz, of Fond du Lac, said this Thanksgiving will be like none other.

He had a heart attack early in the morning of Oct. 4 while in the emergency room at St. Agnes Hospital. He said the quick response, the skill of the surgeon and his team, and the wonders of modern technology saved his life, and Schultz was home within 36 hours.

“My diet has changed and, most of all, my perspective on life has forever been altered,” Schultz wrote. “I have been blessed with a great life, for 30 seasons I have had the dream job of covering major league baseball. I have a great family and supportive friends. But this November, no one has more to be thankful for than me and my family. Every day is treated as a treasure.”

The storm will pass.

Owen Helgeson from Stevens Point said he was at Boy Scout camp in Rhinelander during the storms in July. When the storm hit, everyone had to go to the nearest shelter, and in Helgeson's shelter, six out of seven generators went out. Luckily, only one tree fell down and nobody was hurt, he said.

“I am thankful for the adult leaders, chaperone, counselors and older Scouts who were there,” Helgeson wrote. “During the storm, I was honestly scared! I am grateful for my safety.”

Care workers make a huge difference.

Mary Stoeger, of Appleton, said she’s thankful for care staff.

Stoeger said her mom was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and dementia, and the family could no longer care for her at home. They made the difficult decision to move her into an assisted living facility about a year ago. Stoeger said there aren’t enough words to express her gratitude to the nurses and staff at the Valley VNA Senior Care and the Ascension At Home in Neenah, particularly Brandy, Nicole, Kelly, Jen and Kara.

Stoeger said with their help, her mom is treated with dignity, respect and caring compassion.

“They have become a second family,” Stoeger wrote. “They are an amazing group of people who truly care about others all while maintaining balance in their own life, and for some, continuing their education. For now, we are back to being her son and daughter! Thank you so much for the quality of life you have granted our mom!”

There are many good people in the world.

Darlajo Williams-Altman, of Sheboygan, said there are many things she is grateful for, but she is particularly thankful that she is aware there are so many good people in the world.

She notices people smiling and saying “hello” when they pass on the street, and she says she prays for those who have lost their way and don’t realize how fortunate they are.

“I thank God and want Him to know that some of us have not lost sight of His goodness on our planet,” she wrote.

Life gets better.

Jan Lutz, of Stevens Point, said she’s thankful for many things, but one group has had the greatest impact on her life.

Fresh Hope is a Christian support group for people with mental health conditions and their loved ones. She said she’s lived with major clinical depression for most of her life, and the group has helped her greatly.

“Not only can I share my faith, but also meet others in similar situations,” she wrote. “The bonding that takes place is something that I have not experienced before. I look forward to our weekly meetings and drawing strength from members of the group, which aids in living well in recovery. Despite my depression, I now lead a fuller and richer life because of Fresh Hope.”

Babies are full of love.

Georgie Halpin, of Green Bay, said she’s thankful to be a "foster grandma" for eight babies at Encompass Day Care Center.

“I get to hold, feed, play and enjoy the special love that only a baby can give,” she wrote.

What’s best can also be heartbreaking.

Ed Mauthe from Kimberly said he, his wife, Joan and their children have been going through hard times. Mauthe said Joan has advanced Alzheimer’s disease that has progressively gotten worse over the past decade, and she doesn’t recognize Ed or any of their children or grandchildren anymore.

The family agreed she needed professional 24-hour care for her safety and welfare. Mauthe took her to a care facility, reminding himself it was the best for everyone, but it was a very hard thing to do.

Despite the circumstances, Mauthe thanks God for their children and the total love, care, understanding and sacrifices they gave for their parents.

“All four of our children spent countless hours, weeks, months and years of taking care of Mom,” he wrote. “It didn’t matter if it was day or night, someone was always there. So many, many times I was just all worn out, and any of my children would say ‘Dad, I’ll stay with Mom. You lay down and rest’ or tell me to go to a bed in the basement and get a full night’s rest. This helped a lot. Their spouses were all very supportive and very helpful.”

Mauthe said the first night without his “Cinderella” was restless, and Mauthe prayed and thought of Joan a lot. He said tears flowed, but in time, it will be better for her, and that’s important.

Cancer is hard.

Linda Larochelle, of Wagner, said her family is thankful for all of the help and support they’ve gotten from the Bellin Cancer Center in Marinette and Aurora BayCare Medical Center. Teams at both facilities have been doing an awesome job taking care of her son, Tony, she said. Otherwise, he might not be here today.

Larochelle said the family is also grateful to their community for all their prayers, well wishes and support.

“It’s just wonderful knowing that we have so many friends who care,” she wrote.

Sometimes, dreams come true.

Shirley Ueckert, of Marathon, said her son Ken and his wife Shelley learned they would be transferred from California to Germany for two years for Ken’s job.

On Uekert’s 85th birthday, her son surprised her by inviting her to visit them in Germany. Uekert said she would have loved to go, but she wasn’t comfortable going alone since her husband had died several years before. That’s when her cousin, Bonnie, from Wisconsin Rapids volunteered to go with her.

Bonnie took care of all the arrangements, and in June, the two women left for Germany, marking Uekert’s first time traveling overseas.

Once they arrived, they all stayed for two weeks in a 350-year-old barn that had been converted into three apartments. Uekert said it was a thrill, as she had been a farmer’s wife.

“I am forever grateful to Bonnie for her help, and to Ken and Shelley,” she wrote. “This was a forever ‘Dream Come True’ for me.”

Beating cancer is a team effort.

Carol Klabunde, of Oshkosh, said she is thankful for continued good health, two and a half years out from a cancer diagnosis with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. She said a great oncology team and her husband got her through, with God’s help. Klabunde said she’s also eternally grateful to her younger sister, Ruth Greisinger, who always had her back and supported her in any way she could.

“Life is good and family is loved,” she wrote.

There’s always help.

Gail Blazei, of Green Bay, said she is thankful for her friends, family and the people at the Brown County Veterans Service Office.

Blazei said the organization has been there for her through thick and thin since 1985, starting with Jerry Polus, who helped her when she first got out of the Navy and didn’t know how to transition back to civilian life.

Blazei said she was honorably discharged for a medical reason, but when she got home, she didn’t leave the house for six months. When she did leave, she knew she wasn’t well, so she went to the service office and met Polus. He got her into the VA Healthcare system where she was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.

Blazei said she got medication, but things got worse, and she tried to end her life in 1997 by taking the whole bottle of pills she was prescribed. She doesn’t remember driving to a friend’s house, but her friend brought her to the hospital where they pumped her stomach. She got more help from doctors and nurses at the VA Clinic.

She said that help changed her life for the better. She could appreciate her life and family for the first time. She had two older sons who would have had a different life, and a daughter who wouldn’t have been born if it wasn’t for the help she received at the Brown County Veterans Service Office.

Blazei now volunteers in that office and gets to work with some of the people who helped her.

“I can’t even express how grateful I am for having these people in my life,” she wrote. “They work so hard at connecting veterans who served with their benefits that they earned by serving our great country. A heartfelt ‘thank you’ to everyone and ‘your kindness and dedication does not go unnoticed.’”

Blazei said veterans or family members of veterans who are struggling with a service-related condition can contact the Brown County Veterans Service office at 920-448-4450.

“There is hope for you, if you will just reach out to them in your time of need,” she wrote.

It’s the little things.

Tom Nevers, of Oshkosh, said every time he sees an emergency vehicle on its way to help someone, he’s thankful for the people willing to help. He’s thankful for people taking time to be kind to others lost in despair. Nevers is thankful for a day of sunshine and singing birds after a spell of gloomy weather.

“I’m thankful that despite the pains and aches associated with being 80 years old that I’m still around to complain about them,” he wrote. “It is the things that take place right around me everyday that I sometimes overlook that I’m thankful for.”

We can remember good things for a long time.

John Sivertsen, of Appleton, said while he’s thankful for parents, relatives, friends, ministers and priests, he is particularly thankful to be able to remember and appreciate good things.

“We can enjoy the good qualities of some person or an act of random kindness long after we experience it,” he wrote. “It is alive in our recall, memory and appreciation. Whether it be spiritual or ordinary, it lingers long in our memories of our walk in this life to encourage us and guide us in the good way.”

Homelessness doesn’t discriminate.

Shannon Cohen, of Green Bay, said she’s thankful for the privilege to work at the New Community Shelter, where she sees people regain self-sufficiency after being homeless.

Cohen said she is thankful she has the honor to work with some of the best people she has ever met, and she considers her coworkers family. She said they have the biggest hearts and truly care about each other, the shelter and who they serve.

Seeing other people’s circumstances also put things into perspective for Cohen, she said.

“We all could be one medical bill or a lost job from becoming homeless,” she wrote. “Homelessness does not discriminate! The last two years have opened my eyes and brought me so much joy to fill my heart, and for that I am thankful!”

Family is important.

Janice Willer, of Appleton, said she is thankful for her daughter.

“She has been with me through many deaths in my family, including her own father,” Willer wrote. “She is thoughtful and always helped me through these difficult times. I love her very much and I thank God that I have her.”

A second chance at life.

Scott Johnson, of Algoma, said he is thankful to be alive, to have had the same job for 40 years and to be married to his wife his whole adult life.

Johnson said he is an alcoholic, and his alcoholism escalated after he retired. His health started declining, and he eventually needed open heart surgery. Just before the procedure, he said one of the nurses strongly suggested he go to ICU. When he was there, he said he flatlined and was gone for more than two minutes before he was revived.

In October 2018, Johnson said he entered an in-patient treatment center in Appleton and stayed for six months. Now, he hasn't had a drink in more than a year, and he’s thankful to many people, including friends, family, counselors, Alcoholics Anonymous and his sister’s prayer group in Florida. He’s most thankful for his wife, Sandy.

“When I was drinking, how she put up with me, I’ll never know,” he wrote. “She is a very special woman and I’m a very fortunate man.”

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Contact Caitlin at cshuda@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @CaitlinShuda.