Mary Lou Soppa

Mary Lou Soppa was the kind of person others never forgot once they met her. She made sure everyone was included and taken care of before she thought about herself. She and her husband worked hand in hand to unfold their vision of making life better for those around them. They supported each other and their family who meant the world to them. They opened their hearts and home to friends who filled their lives with laughter. Mary Lou was strong-willed, hard-working and fun-loving. She cared deeply and loved unconditionally.

Mary Lou was born September 29, 1936 at a time when families were working hard to make life pleasant in the midst of the Great Depression. Alphonse and Agnes (Semling) Pronschinske of Fountain City, Wisconsin created a home for their twelve children (Mary Lou was the eleventh) that shaped their values for years to come.

As a young woman, Mary Lou worked in Minnesota at Knitting Mills in Winona, Camera Art in Lewiston and Hubbard Foods in Altura. She was well established in her career when she met Linus "Red" Soppa and didn't immediately know how much her life would change. Her dreams of a wonderful life were fulfilled when she married Linus in Winona on February 19, 1971. From then on, the two were side by side at work and play. They were committed to one another, and whatever needed to be done they did together.

Having moved to St. Charles to start a family business, Linus and Mary Lou made an excellent team with her doing the bookkeeping for their various enterprises: Red's Welding, Hillcrest Drive Estates, T&R Excavating, Soppa's Apartments, St. Charles Assisted Living, and Soppa Farms. She had a knack for decorating and picking out furnishings for the model homes and apartments they built. It seemed to be her mission to make sure everything looked festive, so Mary Lou also volunteered to decorate the fire hall when Linus was the fire chief. At all times, there was an ongoing project that kept the family busy. Yet sometimes Mary Lou simply enjoyed watching all of them work with the excavating equipment. It became a ritual for her to make tuna salad sandwiches for lunch and sit under a shade tree to watch with satisfaction and pride at what they were accomplishing together.

Working with family was at the core of Mary Lou's life, but she knew how to relax and take a break. Dropping in on her at the Welding shop, someone might find her with her feet on the desk reading the newspaper. Mary Lou thoroughly enjoyed vacation time whether summer fishing and winter snowmobiling at Hayward, Wisconsin, taking trips to Mount Rushmore and Disney World or spending weekends around the campfire with the kids and later their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. No one in the family will forget the fresh popcorn Mom/Grandma made for them to watch fireworks every year.

As a member of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Mary Lou incorporated her faith with values she instilled in her children and grandchildren. The way she worked was part of the way she taught them what they needed to know in life, and Linus was right there to encourage the same philosophy. The kids not only learned how to do something, they knew why they were doing it and that, sometime later in life, that lesson would help them along the way. Mary Lou always told them to get their work done first and then take time for play. She stuck by that motto for herself as well as for them. Her children knew she was always there if they needed advice or just wanted someone to listen to them. She had a way of making each child feel special and like they were her favorite. Because Mary Lou's kids all loved their mother so much, they often voiced this sentiment: "Nothing's too good for our mom."

Mary Lou had a soft spot in her heart for her grandchildren. Over the years, each garnered special stories to tell about time they spent with Nana. She made sure she attended their events at school and on grandparent's day. Family vacations to Jellystone became a highlight for them all, especially Mary Lou who couldn't get enough of seeing them have fun. She also made fun for them. Whenever she invited them for a sleep-over, it became a game for the grandkids to see how many they could fit in bed with her. They all fought to be right next to her! At times she must have been squished, but Mary Lou didn't mind because she loved it as much as they did. Any chance they got, the grandkids would be by Grandma, but they could never hide the fact that they had been with her. When they went back home, others could smell Nana's favorite perfume on them and would say, "I know you were snuggling with Grandma." But the grandkids couldn't resist as it was common knowledge that Nana's kisses were the best around.

Full of love and life, Mary Lou was on the go whether at home or away. She liked mowing the lawn, planting flowers, gardening or cutting wood. Trips to Las Vegas with Diane Speer's travel group were high on her list, because she seemed to be followed by good luck. At Duck's Unlimited banquets, she was considered a guaranteed winner. Everyone was sure where the lucky horseshoe would land, and that proved true whether Mary Lou was in Las Vegas or at Treasure Island.

For destinations a little closer to home, Mary Lou often coaxed Red into going to Branson, Missouri. He made sure that they worked a full day on Friday and were back home Sunday evening so he could be ready for work Monday morning. Still, that was long enough for Mary Lou to hear her favorite artists such as Danny O'Donnell, Charley Pride and Loretta Lynn. Fairly often, the family traveled to weddings (of which there were many from Mary Lou's eleven siblings), and everyone knew who would be the life of the party. Mary Lou was right there dancing with all the guests, and anyone wearing a slip was sure to find it around their ankles before the night was over.

Mary Lou and Linus welcomed family and friends into their home as well. They made sure all had a place to stay when they were in the Rochester area for appointments or just passing through. It was so pleasant for guests to come to Mary Lou's home after a long day of meetings, share a nice meal and enjoy good conversation until it was time to hit the hay.

For entertainment, Mary Lou and Linus watched such TV programs as the nightly news, 60 Minutes, Dallas, Raymond, All in the Family, Hee Haw, Judge Judy, and Shark Tank to name a few. Perhaps Mary Lou's all-time favorite was the Bachelor/Bachelorette, and even though it wasn't Red's choice, he watched it because she wanted to. That was the kind of relationship they had. Their love and respect for each other remained unshakable over their 45 years of marriage. On their anniversary a few years ago, Linus confirmed what the family always knew: the two of them were truly in love. That day, he got down on one knee, looked at Mary Lou and said, "Will you accept this rose?" He offered the gesture and these words: "Happy Anniversary, Honey." Theirs was a match made in heaven.

Mary Lou Soppa of St. Charles, Minnesota passed away at her home surrounded by her family on Tuesday, December 6, 2016. Her husband, children and grandchildren thank her for all her knowledge, good times, laughs and the love she shared with each of them-never to be forgotten.

Survivors include her husband Linus "Red", four children; Alan Suchla of Arcadia, Rita (Greg) Loftus, Terry Soppa and Dori (Keith) Zanto all of St. Charles, four brothers; Clarence (Beverly) Pronschinske, Quintin (Marion) Pronschinske, Linus (Phyllis) Pronschinske and Frances (Bernice) Pronschinske, two sisters; Antonia (Smieja) and Lois Klimek (Deeren), 10 grandchildren; Kenny (Nicole) Loftus, Michelle (Jon) Beers, Andrew Loftus, Erica Suchla, Alayna Suchla, Benjamin Suchla, Olivia Soppa, Evan Soppa, Madison Zanto and Zack Zanto and four great-grandchildren; Jake Loftus, Cara Loftus, Aidric Beers and Annaliese Beers. Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents; three sisters; Ermina Pronschinske, Dorothy Schaub and Vera Wozney, and brothers; Aaron Pronschinske and Cletus Pronschinske, brother-in-law, Melvin Schaub, Everest Wozney, John Klimek, Aaron Smieja and Bill Deeren, and three sisters-in-law; Ellen, Rosemary and Monica Pronschinske.

A Funeral Mass will be on Saturday, December 10 at 11:00 AM at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in St. Charles with Reverend Kurt Farrell officiating. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery. Friends may call at the church from 4-8 p.m.on Friday and two hours before services at the church on Saturday. Please share a memory of Mary Lou at her on-line guestbook and view her video tribute when it becomes available at www.hofffuneral.com. Hoff Funeral Service of St. Charles is assisting Mary Lou's family with arrangements.

Memorials preferred to the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church.