Dolores Brueckner

With selfless generosity and kindness of heart, Dolores Brueckner was a loyal and caring woman to all who knew her. Her unending zest for life coupled with her fun-loving nature made it a joy to share her company. Above all, family was at the heart of Dolores’ life. She may have told it like it was a time or two, but she did so with love as a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, and friend who will be deeply missed.

The decade of the 1920s was a time of great change as new and evolving ways of thinking brought forth times of plenty in the nation. When the eight hour workday was introduced in 1923, the economy prospered while manufacturing was at an all time high. It was an especially exciting time in the lives of Maude (nee Beauchamp) and Joseph Nault when they celebrated the birth of their little girl, Dolores Agnes Nault, on September 12, 1923.

Dolores was born in the community of Bates Township in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Her father worked for the Ford Motor Company while her mother remained at home as a homemaker. Dolores was raised alongside her sister, Oneida and six brothers, Frances, Ray, Desty, Robert, Donald, and Louis. The Nault family made their home in Iron Mountain and Iron River, Michigan where young Dolores grew up. Devout to their Catholic faith, she made her first Holy Communion at St. Joseph’s Church in Iron Mountain on July 11, 1936.

As a child, Dolores loved ice skating and swimming with her best friend, Eunice as well as her sister and brothers. As teenagers, Dolores and Eunice were inseparable. They loved to go out dancing and were always hanging out together. During her teens, Dolores had a boyfriend named Charlie, and her mother always teased Dolores by saying, “Here comes Charlie old boy!” Although she attended the local schools, Dolores left her schooling behind in the 11th grade

During World War II, Dolores went to work in a local foundry. Many women were replacing workers sent off to war, and Dolores was no exception. It was at the war’s end at the Last Chance Saloon where she met the love of her life, William Mitchell. Like a match made in heaven, the two were soon married and celebrated vows of marriage by the Justice of the Peace in March of 1946.

Before long, the addition of children came to bless Dolores and Bill’s lives with the arrival of William in 1946, Beverly in 1947, and Cheryl in 1952. Their family was not complete without their dog, Poncho, named after one of Bill’s friends.

Dolores and Bill moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to start their family. There they joined the group, The Michigan Club which consisted of others who moved to Milwaukee from Michigan. They would meet up once a month at a hall on Milwaukee’s south side to enjoy cocktails, good food, and many great times complete with an accordion player. Dolores made a good home for Bill and the kids. She was a full-time mother, and worked part-time during the Christmas season. Together, she and Bill also managed apartment buildings.

Dolores and her family did much together. Every summer, they spent happy and memorable times at a camp on the Michigan and Wisconsin border where they would visit Dolores’ parents and siblings. Dolores loved shopping and took her daughters along, often taking the bus downtown to, “shop until they dropped” or just to people watch. As a family they never missed the Christmas Parade, where the children would go to see Santa, and the Wisconsin State Fair, often taking the streetcar to get to the Fair Grounds. Even though they never had a lot of money to spare, Dolores always made sure to save enough to take her children to see “Holiday On Ice” each year.

When it came to sports, Dolores was a big sports fan. She loved the Packers, Brewers, and watching golf. Eddie Arnold was her favorite singer, and on TV she never missed Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. She was also hooked on her “soaps”, The Edge of Night and As the World Turns, but she absolutely loved Shirley Temple movies. She loved to do crossword puzzles and she cherished her collection of bird figurines, many of which were given to her as gifts. Friday nights were reserved for 31, a fun-filled family card game, and Sundays during the months of summer were reserved for family picnics in the park which came to include Dolores’ siblings, nieces, and nephews.

All of Dolores’ life was centered around family, and she would not have wanted it any other way. She told it like it was and rarely beat around the bush, but truth be told, she was usually right! These traits were just a few of the many reasons why Dolores was so well loved. When her beloved Bill died on December 2, 1976, Dolores had the support of those who loved and cared about her.

Dolores found a second chance at love and companionship in the heart of Edwin Brueckner. The two met, dated, and were soon married in June of 1977 at the Justice of the Peace. She and Eddie shared many good years together until his death on December 31, 1999. Dolores counted herself blessed to have had two wonderful husbands in her life that loved her dearly.

Throughout the years, Dolores enjoyed a little traveling. She took a trip to Canada to visit French Canadian relatives, and at the age of 60, she took her first airplane ride. They took a trip to Las Vegas, and as she tightly folded her hands, she prayed the entire way down until they landed.

With ways all her own, Dolores loved life and living, especially with her family by her side. Whenever she was around, it was sure to be a fun time with her wonderful sense of humor. She never hesitated poking fun at herself, and would even pose for the camera. For these things and so much more, Dolores will be a beloved part of all that is in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.

Dolores Brueckner (nee Nault); (formerly Mitchell), was born to Eternal Life on Monday, February 24, 2014 at the age of 90. She was the loving mother of William (Jolene) Mitchell, Beverly (Paul) Polzin, and Cheryl Martin; loving grandmother of Jennifer, Brode, David, Michael, Thomas, Joshua, and Jesse; cherished great-grandmother of Jake, Alex, Landon, Aiden, Lillianna, Annika, Dallas, Dakota, Kelly, Justin, Alexis, Briana, Julian, Kylie, Jaden, and Abby; proud great-great grandmother of Gabriella; dear sister-in-law of Louise Nault. She is further survived by nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Visitation Saturday, March 1, 2014 at St. Anne’s Salvatorian Campus Chapel, 3800 N. 92nd St., 8:30 AM until the time of the Funeral Mass at 10:00 AM. Private interment in Holy Cross Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Alzheimer’s Association or to St. Anne’s Home for the Elderly. Suminski Family Funeral Home-Milwaukee. To share a favorite memory and photo of Dolores and to sign her online guestbook, please visit www.lifestorynet.com.