Stephanie L. Yerger

Our beloved mommy, Stephanine Yerger (Jurisick) of Germantown, Wisconsin, passed

away on Easter Sunday after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s and a recent head

injury from a fall. Stephanie and her devoted husband, Jim, were married for 54 years.

Together, they raised a loving family, including three children: Jenna, Corri (Loren), and

Kelsey. She was the proud grandmother, known as Gram Gram, to three grandchildren:

Caden, Matley, and Lily. She was survived by sister-in-law Rosey; nephews Mark

(Pam), Kevin (Sandy), and Steven; Uncle Bob (Pam); and chosen daughter, Amy. She

is preceded in death by her father, Stephen, mother, Irene, brother-in-law, Joseph, and

many other family and friends that she missed deeply. Per Stephanie’s wishes, no

services will be held.

No one is ever prepared for the passing of a dear loved one. A friend gave me a card on

Sunday that eloquently said, “Everyone always will compare the loss of their mother to

your experience. Some people say it’s harder when you’re younger or harder when

you’re older, but really, it’s just hard. It doesn’t matter if you’ve only had her for a few

years or 49, it’s still your mommy. You still look at her and feel like a little kid, no matter

how old.” Our family truly feels that way right now. We are so relieved that my mom will

no longer suffer from the tremors she had in recent years or the restless nights, but we

still grieve her loss. We miss what a wonderful mother she was and the amazing

childhood she provided for us. We didn’t grow up with a lot of money, but she sure

made us feel rich with her time and devotion to putting her children above everything.

Stephanine grew up as an only child, so she wanted to have a big family. If she could

have had more kids, she would have.

Recently, my sister read my mom’s health care directive to me. I was surprised by some

of her answers, and my sister and I had some giggles. I thought I knew everything about

my mom, but I am continuing to learn about her even after her passing. She said that

she wanted to be remembered as “funny.” She was very witty and played a lot of

practical jokes. Though many others viewed her in this light, I saw her as a mother who

loved her children equally with all her heart. She was a mom who dropped everything

for her kids. We were proud to bring the best craft assignments back to school due to

her incredibly creative mind. Her poems were amazing. She would sit in bed, and they

would just come to her. Many have been on the receiving end of her retirement poems.

She helped plan social parties for our dance troop and had elaborate themed events.

She also designed the covers of our dance recital programs. Over the years, she sold

some of her crafts, such as her custom baskets. We always thought she should go into

business with her many talents, but she would say, “I do it because I like to, and I don’t

want custom orders with people telling me how to be creative.”

I would like to be as artistic as my mom or write as well as she did. I know there is a lot

of my mom in me, and I will pass it down to my children. One tradition is making those

spooky Halloween meals that she made us each year. Her holiday decorations in her

house were something out of a magazine. She probably had the most well-placed

Christmas tree you’ve ever seen, with more Hallmark ornaments than you can imagine.

I don’t think I could ever surpass how incredibly artsy her house was, but hopefully, I

can pass down some of her creative influences.

I have so many memories of my mother, and what a great upbringing we had. We had a

lot of family game nights that I will always cherish. When I was finally old enough to join

the card game “Sheepshead” with the adults, I played with them as much as possible.

My mom had a lot of clothes and was a bargain shopper. She literally had sandals and

tennis shoes of every color and a purse to match. I told myself that I would never wear a

sequin shirt, and now, in my older years, I have worn some of her flashy sequin shirts.

Ironically, my mom’s clothes, jackets, and boots are the ones that I get the most

compliments on. She was always tickled pink when I told her about that.

A grief counselor at work said people mourn the loss of a great parent or of the parent

they hoped to have had. We are lucky to be mourning the loss of the most loving,

caring, and supportive mother of all time. There are moments in life that you will never

forget, and one for me is when I was potty training my oldest and I didn’t realize my mom

was listening outside the door. When I opened it, she said, “You are a good mom.” It was

one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received. I cherish these and many moments

with my mom.

On the day of her passing, I got in the car with my daughter and turned on Spotify, and

what song played but “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” by Glass Tiger (not on my

playlist). Believe me, Mom, we will not forget you! Message received. We love you, and

you live on in us!

– Love, your Children, Husband, and Grandchildren.