Marianne Rose (Bray) Haupert died peacefully on July 14, 2024, surrounded by her children. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 20th at St. Joseph the Worker Parish. Visitation will take place that day at the church beginning at 9:00 a.m. The Egelhof, Siegert, and Casper Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

She was born on February 13, 1938 to Louis and Dorothy Bray, and resided in Dubuque her entire life. She married Carl Haupert on July 13, 1960, a marriage that lasted until his death in 2022. She was a dedicated and wonderful mother to their seven children.

She graduated from the Visitation Academy and earned her LPN from Mercy Hospital, where she was employed as a nurse. She was a life-long caregiver, beginning with her career as a nurse, and extending to motherhood. She gave up her nursing career to devote herself to the care of her seven children, one of whom she cared for until his death in 2008. She later served as the primary caregiver for her husband, until his illness required his movement to Luther Manor for the final year of his life.

She spent a part of every summer of her life at the family cottage in Waupaca, Wisconsin, and had been planning for her annual trip in the weeks before her death. She enjoyed spending time with her family, whether at home or the cottage, and had even adopted the 21^st century means of communication with her extended family: texting. She was a master at the use of emojis, though never did quite learn how to catch typos before hitting the send button, much to the amusement of her children and grandchildren. She spent her final evening in typical fashion: relaxing at the end of the day with a good book and the company of her cat.

Mom was not famous, and never flashy. But she was always there for us, in good times and bad, sickness and health, our triumphs and our tragedies. She never wavered. Her life was based on the lessons we find in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. That was Mom.

A frequent joke among the family was which of the children was her favorite. It was funny because it was so unimaginable. Mom had no favorites. In fact, to the sometime irritation of her children, she seemed to possess no capacity to dislike anyone. She had an amazing knack to see the good in everyone, which was reflected back upon her. In the last two years, since the death of her husband, she often wondered why she was so lucky to have children who were so attentive to her. The answer was simple. We learned from the master.

She is survived by a sister-in-law, Elizabeth Bray, her children Mike (Mary Ellen), Amy (Mark) Oles, Lisa (Rick) Lewis, Jenny, Ann (Nestor) Schnasse, and David, numerous nieces and nephews, 17 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Barbara, her brothers John and Louis, her husband, Carl, and her youngest son Paul.

The family would like to thank the police officers, paramedics, firefighters and dispatchers, nurses, doctors, and chaplain at Finley Hospital for their wonderful and compassionate care in her final hours, and Fr. Brian Dellaert, who administered her final rites.