Dolores M. Heezen

Dolores Marie Heezen was embraced by the loving arms of Jesus on August 27, 2018 at the age of 89 years old. She reunited with her beloved husband, the late Marvin Peter Heezen. Dolores was the devoted mother of Dr. Mary Ellen (Teresa) Hillmer-Heezen, Anne Burdakin, Judy (Mark) Tegge, and Christopher (Roisin) Heezen. She was the proud grandmother of 8 grandchildren: Michael and Thomas Burdakin, Nathan and Makena Tegge, Kathryn and Clare Hillmer, Anna and Isabel Heezen. Dolores was born on October 19, 1928 in Green Bay, WI to Irma (Tilkens) and Edward Rentmeester. The family later welcomed a son, the late Roger (Carolyn) Rentmeester. Dolores grew up in Green Bay where she attended East High School. She and Marvin met when they were 16 years old. They married at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church on August 23rd, 1950. The newlyweds moved to Hermansville, MI where Marvin took his first job as a schoolteacher. A year later the honeymoon came to an end when Marvin was sent to Korea as a 1st LT in the army. Dolores returned to live with her parents and worked as a bookkeeper at Montgomery Ward. Dolores attended mass every day to pray for Marvin’s safe return. After being wounded on the battlefield, he came home to an overjoyed Dolores. Marvin left teaching to enter the packaging industry. Dolores lent support through many moves as he advanced his career in plant management. Her soft tone and gentle presence masked profound resilience. Dolores drew strength from Marvin and her Catholic faith. As a mother she devoted herself fully to her four children, Mary, Anne, Judy and Chris. Dolores loved being with them; she often expressed how she looked forward to summer vacation or the unexpected Snow Day. Dolores spent years tending to one or another sick child, making bowls of soup and entertaining the lucky one who got to stay home from school. Her attentive nature continued to show in the loving care of Marvin during his later years. They never lost their sense of humor, bantering until the day he passed away. Despite her loss, Dolores remained positive and optimistic. Her love for family was evident in every room, furniture surfaces covered with photos of smiling babies, first days of school, and family gatherings. Dolores was always ‘just a call away’, quick to answer the phone and listen to hardships, rarely elaborating on her own. This ability to listen speaks to her giving nature. Even when Marvin was no longer with her, she continued to stay dedicated to those she loved. Dolores got excited for every milestone, never missed a birthday, and kept in close contact with cousins, relatives, and friends from the past. Her decline came as a surprise as she had been relatively healthy a week before. Up until Dolores became too weak to speak, she proudly filled every caretaker, nurse, and doctor in on details about her grandchildren. Whether it was grandson Tom’s new job or granddaughter Kathryn’s starting college, she treated the information as if it were of utmost importance to know, because to her it was. Dolores’s family was her everything until the very end. A Memorial Mass will be held on Friday, October 12th at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1619 Washington Street, Grafton, WI 53024. Visitation is scheduled at 10:00am, Mass at 10:45am. Memorials can be made to St. Joseph School Scholarship Fund at the above address.