Effie Virginia Monaghan

Effie Virginia (nee Johnson) Monaghan passed away on April 13, 2011, at the age of 90, surrounded by her family at the Heritage Hospice Residence in Appleton. Effie was an exceptional woman who truly understood what was important in life. All who met her were struck by her sparkling Swedish blue eyes and warm smile. She will be dearly missed. Effie was born on November 26, 1920 in Oakland, Nebraska, daughter of the late Carl and Ingrid Johnson, and sister to Evys and May. Effie attended a one-room schoolhouse where she excelled and moved ahead of her class. She graduated at age 16. Later, while working as a telephone operator in Moline, IL she met and fell in love with Britt Monaghan, and 6 weeks later, on September 14, 1940, they eloped and were married in Muscatine, Iowa.
Effie was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. The collage of photos and children's artwork on her refrigerator reveals what mattered most. Her chosen lifetime career was mother extraordinaire to her seven children. She selflessly served her family and filled the roles of teacher, nurse, advisor, cook and cheerleader. She shared her appreciation for beauty in art, music, and nature as well as her passion for learning. She enjoyed playing the piano and singing. All of her grandchildren have wonderful memories of Grandma reading and telling stories to them and of playing with her huge supply of empty oatmeal boxes and cardboard tubes. Effie had a strong sense of justice and was a compassionate champion for the underdog. She was a resourceful and inventive problem-solver, and enjoyed stretching a dollar. She was a great cook who was way ahead of her time in matters of health and nutrition. Endlessly curious, and surrounded by books, Effie was a voracious reader who loved knowing and using the precise word for every occasion. Even in her 80's, she was hard to beat at Scrabble or Boggle and looked forward to completing the WonderWord puzzle each day. She enjoyed attending church and found comfort and encouragement in her childlike faith in God. Her family and friends could always count on her to pray for them.
Effie is survived by her husband of seventy years, Britt Monaghan of Appleton;
Six children: Patricia (William) Hall, Rockford, Illinois; Donna Swartzendruber, Morton, Illinois; Gail (Robert) Kassel, Fredericksburg, Virginia; Janis (Scott) Sheil, Burnsville, Minnesota; Britt Monaghan, Jr., Appleton; Barbara (Steve) Ziemke, Lakeville, Minnesota; seventeen grandchildren and twenty four great grandchildren.
The greatest sadness of her life was the death of their youngest child, one-year-old daughter Betty Jane, in 1962. Effie is further preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Evys Warren and May Wynn; son-in-law Duane (Bud) Swartzendruber; a stillborn granddaughter and great granddaughter, and many relatives and friends.
The funeral service for Effie will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, April 18, 2011, at the WICHMANN FUNERAL HOME, TRI-COUNTY CHAPEL, with Rev. Steve Ziemke and Chaplain Jordan Kuczwara officiating. Friends may call on Monday at the funeral home from 10:30 a.m. until the time of the service. Interment will take place immediately following the service at Highland Memorial Park, Appleton.
The family would like to extend a sincere thank you to Dr. Patricia Demery and Anne Peterson, LPN; Dr. James Haine; Chaplain Jordan Kuczwara; and the kind caregivers at Cherry Meadows and ThedaCare Residence Hospice for their care, compassion, and support.

“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove…but the world may be different because
I was important in the life of a child.”

Wichmann Funeral Home
Tri-County Chapel
3212 S. Oneida Street
Menasha 831-9905
Online Condolences
www.wichmannfargo.com