December 7, 2020 – Richfield, WI – Our beloved 102-year-old mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, neighbor, and friend, Esther Mary Kainz (nee Schmidt) went to her heavenly home on December 5, 2020. She was born August 26, 1918 to William and Sarah (Lischka) Schmidt.
She grew up on her family farm on Pleasant Hill Road and lived in Richfield her whole life. Her family, the Lischka’s, owned and operated the tavern on the corner of Hwy 164 and Pleasant Hill Road which is now the Pleasant Hill Bar and Grill.
Mom went to school at Friess Lake School then, which is now Bilda’s, for eight years. Before she married, she worked at the Holy Hill restaurant, where she was a waitress, and her mother was a cook. She also worked at the Casing Canning Factory in Hartford.
She met the love of her life, Joe, in Richfield at the Klippel Meat Market. They married on June 14, 1944, raised 5 children, and owned and operated the Kainz Grocery Store in Richfield for 25 years. On August 31, 1969, at the St. Mary’s Holy Name dance, dad died of a massive heart attack. He was 53 years old. Mom lived on for 51 years without him.
Mom loved life and lived it to the fullest. She lived in her own home up until a month before she died, moving in with her son and daughter-in-law, Ken and Celeste. She especially loved her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and being with them.
She loved her Blessed Lord, holidays, going out to eat, car rides, bus trips, her small garden and her delicious raspberries. Her favorite things were the colors red or pink, roses, fresh fried fish, pork hocks and sour kraut, and cheese. She watched the Lawrence Welk show every week, and her favorite place to eat, of course, was her grandson Wayne’s (and Dana’s) restaurant “The Riverside Brewery” in West Bend. Mom loved praying her prayers (a large envelope packed full), and the rosary every day. For years she prayed the rosary at several nursing homes every week. She never missed Mass. She loved playing Sheepshead (diamonds or hearts) and played 2 or 3 times a week until the virus hit in March. Mom also liked to play 500 Rummy and Kings in the Corner. It broke her heart not to see her friends and play cards.
She was a loving, kind, caring and gentle person. She had a heart of gold; her body just gave out. Her mind was sharp until the day she died. Mom’s famous words were: ”I could be better.” She had never been in the hospital except for the birth of her children. She tested negative for the coronavirus.
Esther is survived by her 5 children, Kenneth (Celeste) Kainz, Doris (Jerry) Heidenreich, David (Gail) Kainz, Karen (Dan) Paff, and Theresa (Richard) Kenny. She has 17 grandchildren: Wayne (Dana) Kainz, Craig (Denise) Kainz, Janine (Chris) Lisser, Angela (Joe Kaeny) Kainz, Derek (Heather Gagliano) Kainz, John (Stephanie) Heidenreich, Sarah (Dave) Gishorn, Joseph Kainz, Ann (Matthew) Whelan, Paul Kainz, Shane (Stephanie) Paff, Cody (Tiffany) Paff, Trevor (Courtney) Paff, RJ Kenny, Chandra (John Volker) Kenny, and Shannon (Wes Heupel) Kenny. She has 24 precious great-grandchildren. She also has 3 in-laws, Clara Miller, Helen Stiede, and Shirley (Paul) McCarthy.
Preceded in death was her husband Joe, her parents William and Sarah Schmidt, Joe’s parents John and Clara Kainz, her 3 brothers Joseph, Raymond (Cornelia), Jerome (Laverne), a baby sister Veronica, her godson Richard (Kathy) Schmidt and her beloved grandson, Brett Kainz.
Mother pray for your family like you always have. We will miss you and you will always be with us. Nothing can separate us. Not time, not space…not even death.
I guess the Lord did not forget about you after all.
You are now at peace.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00am at St Gabriel Catholic Church(1200 St. Gabriel Way Hubertus, WI 53033) on Saturday December 12 with Rev. Richard Stoffel presiding. Visitation will be at the church on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. Interment will follow at St Mary Cemetery on Hillside Road.
Memorials to St Gabriel Church or charity of your choice are appreciated.