Mireille A. Rostad

Mireille "Mary" Anys Brouillard Rostad died with her children at her bedside on October 13, 2011, at Bethany St. Joseph Care Center in La Crosse, WI. She was born on September 19, 1924, in Buizingen, Belgium to Maurice and Mathilde (Crab) Brouillard. She left her home after the invasion of Belgium by Germany to work for the French and Belgian Resistance movements. She later was employed at General Eisenhower's Frankfurt headquarters. She met her future husband, Allen Rostad, while working for the U.S. Army and they married in Forest on March 16, 1946. Mary arrived in America on June 10, 1946, aboard the war bride transport ship George S. Goethels and settle with Allen in Houston, MN. She became a naturalized American citizen in 1952. Early during her time in Houston Mary became a Girl Scout leader and continued as a leader for many years. After working for several years as a nurse's aide at La Crosse Lutheran Hospital she graduated from Western Wisconsin Technical Institute and began her work as a nurse at the hospital. She later became an eye enucleator, taking corneas for transplant, for the Wisconsin Eye Bank until her own failing eyesight made that impossible. She was a member of Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, WELCA, Caring Quilters of Cross of Christ, Piecemakers Quilt Group of Spring Grove, and Houston Quilters. Mary enjoyed time spent with her quilting friends, especially making quilts for others, including graduating seniors of the Cross of Christ congregation and quilts for the world missions. Later in life she became a speaker/educator on her experiences in the WWII Resistance and sharing her perspective on the Holocaust. She spoke to countless school children in many school districts, and in 2005 she spoke to a packed house at the Viterbo University Fine Arts Center. Mary was a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1986, the first year the awards were made. In May of 2011, she was honored by the Congregation Sons of Abraham in La Crosse for her efforts in Holocaust education. She was a devoted and loving wife, mother, and grandmother, and was so happy and proud to become a great-grandmother to four beautiful boys.She is survived by son and daughter-in-law, Andre and Barbara Rostad of La Crescent, MN, daughter, Denise Rostad of Platteville, WI, and son Kim Rostad of La Crosse, WI; three grandchildren, Aimee (Patrick) Miles, Kelly (Luke) Wachewicz , and Andrew Rostad; four great-grandchildren, Brady and Lincoln Miles, and Liam and Landon Wachewicz; two sisters, Angele (Leon) Marchand and Maggie Brouillard of Belgium; sister-in-law, Patricia Brouillard; brother-in-law, Sidney (Laura) Rostad; many nieces and nephews; her dear "Paris cousins"; and many wonderful friends from church, quilting, Lutheran Hospital, Holocaust education, and her Houston neighborhood who helped her continue to live well and independently until very recently. She was preceded in death by her dear husband Allen in 2007, brother, Andre and sister, Renee.Funeral services will be held on Saturday, October 22nd, at 11:00am, at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Houston with the Reverend Lane Zaffke officiating. Burial will be in Stone Church Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9:30am until the time of service at the church on Saturday. Please share a memory of Mary with her family, sign her online guestbook or view her video tribute when it becomes available online at: www.hofffuneral.com
Tribute video can be found at: videos.lifetributes.com/254381