Obituary of Lillian Ann Beauleau

Lillian Ann Beauleau, age 82, of Yankton, SD passed away Saturday, November 12, 2016, at Avera Sister James Care Center, Yankton, SD. Memorial services will be 7:30 PM, Monday, November 14, 2016 at the Opsahl-Kostel Memorial Chapel, Yankton, SD. Visitations will be Monday, November 14, 2016 from 7 to 8 PM at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Crematory Yankton, SD. On-line condolences may be sent to: www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com. Lillian Ann (Keeler) Beauleau was born January 18th, 1934 in Stamford, Ct. She left us on November 12, 2016 to be reunited with the love of her life, Roger. She was the daughter of Lily Larson Keeler and Howard Keeler. Ann lived in CT for most of her life then retired with Dad to North Carolina. They moved to Yankton in 2005 to be near their daughters and grandchildren. Mom was a complex woman. As the eldest of 10 kids in a poor family, she was sent out to work when she was just 10 years old. She would take care of kids in the "better" part of town, then trudge back home -through rain and heat and blizzards. She was no slacker though. In high school they skipped her a year, so she graduated earlier than her classmates. A voracious reader, she taught us all to read before we were 4. You couldn't beat her in a game of Scrabble and she was a fierce "May-I?" opponent. Even in the later stages of her dementia she could still quickly solve the puzzles in Wheel of Fortune and do crossword puzzles. Sometime in 1950 she met a handsome young man named Roger Beauleau. Legend has it that she was sitting on her back steps when Roger happened to walk by and casually say "You want to go to a movie?”. She said "Sure". (Apparently neither of them were particularly enthusiastic.) Something must've clicked because she and Roger were married in 1951. Dad went off to the Korean War and Sharon Ann was born in February, 1952. She and Mom waited patiently for Dad to come home with Mom saving every penny he ever sent her. 6 years later Barbara Jean came along and the family was complete. Throughout the years Mom worked in a bank, at a construction company and - after they moved to Brookfield, CT - a deli, where she became known for her amazing sandwiches, potato salad and of course, that cheesecake. But most of all, Mom loved taking care of Dad. He adored her right back and would sing her songs and dance her around the kitchen. She was great with the checkbook, cooked up a storm and was the reason every party or barbecue we had was a success (our barbecues were legendary!). She liked romance novels, crocheting (while she still could), cross-stitching, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Wheel of Fortune, her dog Reggie, just about any kind of cookie and watching golf on TV (Go figure - she never played a day in her life). In earlier days she was an amazing gardener and no matter where she lived, her backyard was always full of flowers and color. She loved Nintendo and was an expert at Zelda and Tetris and would never pass up a ride on a roller-coaster. She was always beautifully put-together and smelled wonderful. Her grandchildren will remember her for her swimming lessons, hot dogs in the microwave and long summer days by the pool. Ann (Mom, Nana, Nonni) is survived and will be greatly missed by her daughters Sharon Ann Biscardi and Barbara (Rick) Stahlecker; her grandchildren Carol (Mike) Michalski, Shannon Permann and Brande Beach and her great-grandchildren Matthew, Kailey, Abby, Jake and Evie. Other survivors include her brothers and sisters: Barbara, Ruby, Robbie, Jimmy, Ritchie and Alan. She was predeceased by Sisters Alice, Honey and infant brother Charlie. But the one she missed the most was her lifelong love. Dad - Roger Beauleau - passed in July, 2008 and she's missed him every day since. Surely he's been waiting for her. Now the wait is over. As Carol said: "Cheese and cherries Nana". Say Hi to Dad. We'll miss you terribly and we'll see you soon.