Patricia (Kirchner) Schoofs

Our Beloved

Patricia (Kirchner) Schoofs passed away on December 23, 2021 at the age of 89. She was attended at the time of her death by a gathering of family members.

Patricia's Love Language Was Health and Good Food

Homemaker, mother, and wife, Pat took her work and raising her children in the Catholic faith seriously. She could be fun too, Saturday evenings might bring fried potatoes for supper, and after weekly baths, she often strapped on her accordion and played for her kids to polka in their pajamas.

One of her great personal qualities was being prepared. Whether it was growing and storing organic food, producing natural and herbal medicines, or actively living her faith—she operated in a low gear, consistent and careful. She did her research, evaluated the options, made her decisions, recorded, and adjusted. She was steady.

Visit The Schoofs Preserve

In 1972, Pat and Ralph began a forty-five year conservation project that included planting trees and establishing meadows, creating a wildlife pond, and returning biological diversity to their eroded farmland. Their efforts became a family legacy in 2015 when the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust protected the land from development and created the Schoofs Preserve—open to the public.

Patricia’s family invites you to visit the Schoofs Preserve in memory of Pat and Ralph to hike, pray, bird watch, or cross-country ski. https://owlt.org/visit-our-preserves/property/25-schoofs

A Natural Healer

In the 1980's, Pat was chronically ill. Her doctor couldn't figure out what was wrong and told her it was just in her head. She put her research skills and her faith in God to work and became a walking library of natural healing knowledge. Once she was doing better, she started helping others. People came to her with all sorts of health problems, chemical sensitivities, inability to conceive, digestive issues, cancer, . . . One could ask her about any problem and if she didn't have a suggestion right away, she'd research and have one within a few days.

A valuable natural healing library and resource have passed on.

A Strong Marriage Takes Commitment

Ralph and Pat with children and spouses, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren in 2001 at their 50th anniversary celebration.

A Good Match!

After Mom passed, we realized her and Dad had lived in their earthly bodies a similar amount of time. We put their birth and death dates into an online time calculator. Mom had one day longer than Dad. Perhaps it was Dad's generosity with Mom, it would have been like him to let her have a little more than he had.

However this happened, Mom seems to have been WOWED by it, Dad, hmmm, maybe he's worried about the 4 1/2 years he'll have to wait in heaven for Mom to arrive.

We don't think that Mom waste a single one of her 32,786 days! She was a doer. We do think she would have wanted this fact to be duly noted. Thus, recorded.

Patricia: March 18, 1932 to December 23, 2021 Result: 32,787 days or 89 years, 9 months, 5 days

Ralph: August 5, 1927 to May 10, 2017 Result: 32,786 days or 89 years, 9 months, 4 days

Ralph Schoofs's Epilogg https://create.epilogg.com/epilogg/view/3245

Patricia Will Be Remembered

Pat is survived by her brother August Kirchner, children: Jeanne (Dan Smith), Robert, Andy (Bonnie Schmidt), Atina (Martin Diffley), Daniel (Kristi Bergherr), Catherine (Jim Brown); nineteen grandchildren: Jennie Arbogash, Jim Arbogash, Tom Arbogash, Julie Ernst, Christina Brajkovich, Andrea Meyer, Martin Schoofs, Aaron Schoofs, Eliza Smith, Maize Diffley, Maxwell Schoofs, Nina Schoofs, Sarah Brown, Elizabeth Brown, Hannah Brown, Frances Brown, Ben Smith, Andrew Smith, Rebekah Smith, nineteen great-grandchildren: Blake, Chase, Jaxson, Sasha, Roy, Nathan, Claire, Nolan, Branden, Guineviere, Michael, Gene, Grace, Rose, Kaylin, Nathaniel, Kateri, Matthias, and Baby girl, one great-great grandchild Emmet; a brother-in-law Allen (Paula) Schoofs; godchildren Carol Nigh, David Schoofs, Bill Gruendeman, John Renner, many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph Schoofs, two children - John and Elizabeth, great-grandchildren Guineviere, Angel, Chrysanthia Violet, Grace, her parents, Ralph’s parents Joseph and Catherine (Becker) Schoofs, son-in-law Gene Novak, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Ted (Helen) Schoofs, E.A. “Dick” (Bea) Schoofs, Joe (Charlotte) Schoofs, Katie (Tony) Vitrano, Anna (Gregor) Nigh, Lona (Joe) Retzer, Francis (Bernice) Schoofs, Lucille (Nathan) Nigh, Dorothy (Frankie) Volm, Estelle (Morrison) Kirchner.

memorial service

Visitation, Mass, Burial, and Luncheon

April 29, 2022

Holy Hill - Basilica and National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians 1525 Carmel Rd, Hubertus, WI 53033, USA

Visitation will be at 9:30 am at the Chapel of St. Therese, level 2, followed by Mass at 11 am. After Mass, there will be a burial of cremains at Saint Augustine Cemetery, Hwy 167 & St Augustine Rd (Cty CC), and then a meal reception served at 1 pm at St Mary of the Hill parish center.

Those who would like to honor Patricia’s sweetness are invited to bring a dessert to the memorial meal.