Cecilia Geenen

Cecilia M. (Collier) Geenen, 75, of Freedom, the 5th child of John Anthony Collier and Anastasia (Ann) Riley Collier. Ceil Mae Collier was born December 13, 1935 in Almond, Wisconsin. She attended St. Rose Catholic School in Clintonville and Clintonville High School. Ceil was a member of St. Rose Children's choir and member of Clintonville High School Glee club, where she sang alto. Ceil enjoyed singing all her life.

After high school, Ceil worked at A&P Grocery Stores in Clintonville and Green Bay, Wisconsin, and at Wildenberg's Grocery in Little Chute.

Ceil met her husband, Patrick, while he was working for Acme Tree Service. They married and had six daughters, Ceil was busy with meals, laundry, shopping and keeping accounts for her husband's business. She enjoyed preparing meals for her family; casseroles, beef roast, sloppy joes, baked chicken, hamburgers, and desserts of all kinds. Ceil enjoyed fresh donuts and tasty bakery goods.

With six children, Ceil was busy attending many of their school activities, parties, parent-teacher meetings and conferences. She and her husband attended First Communion celebrations, confirmations, graduations from kindergarten, grade school and high school. Special time of preparation for weddings was always set aside so that everything was in place to ensure the ceremony and the celebration that followed would go smoothly.

Ceil enjoyed all of her grandchildren and their successes. She would phone them frequently about homework or just make a friendly call. Some special hobbies that Ceil enjoyed were: reading, working on puzzles, watching game shows, the news, football and baseball games. She enjoyed watching movies with her husband, Patrick. She also enjoyed shopping and dining out. Ceil loved fresh flowers and frequently picked up a seasonal bouquet for the living room or kitchen.

Ceil always enjoyed the seasons of the year. Then interior of her home was always inviting with arrangements of flowers, harvest plants, scarecrows, pumpkins, wall and table decor. At Christmas time the family Christmas tree, was the center of the decorations.

Ceil enjoyed Christmas with family and grandchildren, making Christmas cookies with them, and sending a beautiful tray home with each family. She shared many of her favorite recipes with her six daughters who passed on the tradition of baking and cooking.

Reading was one of her favorite hobbies and she would share the books with her daughters. Ceil loved to work on puzzles and she spent many hours enjoying the challenge.

During her later years, Ceil would help her husband with his hobby of making Mission Rosaries. Patrick was committed to spreading devotion to Our Lady and the prayer of the Rosary. Patrick made thousands of Mission Rosaries and Ceil always helped him-counting the rosaries in sets of ten, then putting them in packs of one hundred and placing them in boxes to prepare them for mailing to distribution centers all across America with destinations overseas-Haiti, Vietnam, El Salvador, and other foreign countries. Ceil and her husband would pray the rosary and watch the Mass on television each day during their retirement years.

Ceil is survived by her daughters: Patricia (Brian) Wickesberg; Margaret (Jeff) Wagner: Mary (Dan) Gruper; Elizabeth (Rick) Reavis; Alice (Todd) Rasmussen; Cecilie (Sean) Johnson; grandchildren: Jacob and Jennifer Wickesberg; Stephen and Sean Wagner; Katelin and Jacob Gruper; Megan and Dylan Reavis; Daemyen and Dominic Johnson; sister, Carol Shippy; sisters-in-law: Gerry Kussman, Joyce Collier; brother-in-law, John Geenen; sisters-in-law: Sister Mary James, Sister Timothy, Sister Rosemarie, Martha and Mary Geenen; relatives, nieces, nephews, co-workers and friends.

Ceil was preceded in death by her parents: John and Ann Collier; brothers: Richard, John (Jack), and William (Bill) Collier; brothers-in-laws: Rev. James J. Geenen, Joseph E. Geenen, Henry R. Geenen Jr., William T. Geenen; sisters-in-law: Mary (Geenen) Fox, Sister Rosalyn

Friends may call at St. Nicholas Catholic Church, Freedom on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 from 10:00 AM until Mass of Christian Burial at 12:00 noon with Father Dave Hoffman officiating. Burial will take place in the parish cemetery. Online condolences may be expressed at www.muehlboettcher.com .
Muehl-Boettcher Funeral Home, Seymour is assisting the family with arrangements.

A very special thank you to ThedaCare Hospice for all your care and concern.