Edna Lapointe

Edna LaPointe was one of those special people who appreciated the many things that make life so valuable family, friends and faith. A devoted mother, doting grandmother and faithful Christian, Edna lived in harmony with her beliefs and ideals, knowing that nothing was more important than the love of family. In the year 1918, America was in the midst of an important change as the war in Europe came to an end. With thousands of young soldiers returning home, the economy boomed to meet peacetime demands. It was the beginning of an era of prosperity and happiness, but William Hauser, a German immigrant, and his wife, Helen (Schwartz), were in positive spirits for another reason. On November 19, 1918, they were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Edna Irene Hauser. Edna was born in Lansing, Michigan. When she was just two years old, the family moved to the south side of Chicago, where her father got a job driving truck for the Armour Meat Company. Helen was a busy homemaker and mother to their four daughters: Dorothea, Edna, Elda and Ruth. The family took many trips back to Lansing, however, to visit relatives, and Edna often told of how they camped out on the side of the road on these treks. As a young girl, Edna enjoyed taking piano lessons, and was thrilled to attend the 1933 Chicago Worlds Fair with her older sister. The Hausers were members of St. Timothy Lutheran Church, and this strong Lutheran upbringing would always be an important part of Ednas life. She received her elementary education in a Lutheran school, but completed her education in public high school. After graduating in 1936, Edna went on to attend college for a time before returning home to Chicago. Edna was in her early 20s when she met her first husband, Milton Allen. After dating for a time, the two were married and had a daughter, JoAnn, in 1944. After several years Ednas marriage to Milton fell apart and eventually ended in divorce. Thereafter, Edna and her little JoAnn moved in with her parents, and she went to work at Armour Meats Co. as a secretary. It was at Armour that Edna met Joseph LaPointe, who was the company architect, and 30 years her elder. Outside of work, Joseph was a gentleman farmer and owned a sizeable farm in Berrien Springs, Michigan, which he commuted to every weekend. He also enjoyed entertaining on his farm and often invited groups of employees from Armour out there for dinner. Edna and her sister were weekend guests on several occasions at the farm, which is how Edna came to know Joseph. They were happily married on June 22, 1951, in Chicago, and then moved to Josephs farm in Berrien Springs. Here, Edna worked along side her husband running the farm and raising the livestock. In early 1953, the couple was overjoyed when they found out Edna was pregnant, but unfortunately it was short-lived. Joseph was tragically killed in a traffic accident before their daughter Robertas birth in October of that year. After losing her husband, Edna and her daughters stayed on the farm, which she managed to keep running with the help of their farm hands. However, after 5 years, Edna sold the farm and moved to a smaller house in Berrien Springs. She also began teaching hearing impaired children at an area school, where she eventually retired in the late 1970s. After a long days work, Edna liked nothing more than to be in her garden and tending to her wide variety of flowers, including the delicate violets she grew indoors. She also loved to travel and while her daughters were growing up, they took many cross country trips to the west coast, with many stops in between. Edna was very proud of her German heritage and kept in touch with many relatives overseas; she took several trips to Europe t see them too. During the winter months, Edna enjoyed going cross country skiing whenever possible. Soon Ednas daughters were both grown and married, and blessed her with two wonderful grandchildren, whom she adored. Her daughter, Joann, married a Navy Lutheran Pastor and Edna visited them and her precious granddaughter, Heather, wherever they were stationed. Then in 1992, she moved to Grand Haven to be closer to her daughter, Roberta, David and grandson, Tyler. She settled in a home on Waverly Street., which was once again adorned with her beautiful flower gardens. She was good friends with many of the neighbors, who always lent a helping hand as she got older. When she lived in Berrien Springs, Edna was a member and in the Altar Guild of the Trinity Lutheran Church, but after she moved, she joined St. Johns Lutheran Church and was active in its Stephen Ministry. In 2005, Edna began having health problems and she went to live at Christian Haven Assisted Living. Her health continued to decline and she needed constant care so she was moved to Oakcrest Manor in January. It was here that Edna died on Wednesday, February 27, 2008, at the age of 89. She will be dearly missed by her family and friends. Edna is survived by her 2 daughters: Roberta (David) Lorenz of Norton Shores & JoAnn (David) Pearcy of Darnestown, MD; 2 grandchildren: Tyler Lorenz of Norton Shores & Heather (Brad) Warner of VA; 1 great grandchild, Ethan Warner. She was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph LaPointe. Services will be on Tuesday, March 4, at 11:00 a.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church with Rev. Phillip DeVries officiating. Interment will be in Chapel Hill Gardens in Chicago. A time of visitation is set aside for Sunday, March 2, from 2-5 p.m. at Clock Life Story Funeral Home, Grand Haven. Memorial contributions may be made to Heifer International, P.O. Box 8058, Little Rock, Arkansas 72203, or Bethesda Lutheran Home, 600 Hoffman Drive, Watertown, Wisconsin 53094. Please visit Ednas memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory with her family or sign her online guest book.