Madonna (Lesher) Rench |
| Posted 2020-11-25 by mhenderson |
| Published in Today's News-Herald on Nov. 25, 2020 - Lake Havasu City, Arizona (personal article, page 6) >> 1929 - 2020 << On November 9, 2020, Madonna Rench, our beautiful mom and nanny, passed away in her home on a sunny morning surrounded by loving family, and outside the bedroom window her resident hummingbird fluttered around the nectar feeder. Madonna grew up in Darke County Ohio, the daughter of the late Ralph and Pearl Lesher. She was born during the great depression and survived the loss of her only brother, Charles, who died during WWII. In 1947 she married her high school sweetheart, Jack Rench, and they had three children, Steve, Debbie and Lori. For several years, they lived on a farm prior to moving to Dayton, where they established a partnership in the restaurant business with Jack’s brothers. In Dayton, Madonna and Jack designed and built their own house. She took pride in creating a nice home for her family, but when the gals’ coffee parties ran too long and the chores got left behind, with a dash of wisdom she advised “a squirt of lemon pledge and the aroma of fried onions gives the illusion of a hard day’s work”. Madonna treasured the adventures and giggles she shared with her large extended family and numerous friends. In 1972, a McCulloch flight and an adventurous spirit found Madonna, Jack, and Lori, their youngest daughter, heading west. They established a new life and built a Putt-Putt Golf franchise in Lake Havasu City. A venture that brought joy to many families of this young desert town. Several years later, Jack and Steve started J & S landscaping and Madonna managed the office. Madonna was civic minded. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and she and Jack were heavily involved in Shriner’s. She belonged to the First Presbyterian Church, participated with Lake Havasu Pioneers, and over the years she held various positions with the Havasu chapter of the PEO International Sisterhood. A pot of soup was often found simmering on her stove to be shared with ailing friends. Madonna was gracious, had a contagious laugh and a sense of humor with just a little mischief thrown in. She was a frequent card player, a lover of biographical literature, and an avid news watcher. She appreciated fashion and decorating, and she was passionate about South West history and travel. She pursued lifelong education and took courses at the community college into her later years. Boating on the Colorado River, desert picnics, people watching, and sunset gazing at Rotary Park brought her great pleasure. Madonna was an excellent listener, she was the rock and the sounding board, and her words of wisdom will continue to guide her progeny and friends. We will miss sitting around her big oak table as she regaled us with colorful stories of yesteryear. She was a bright light in our lives, and we will carry her grace and love forever. Madonna will always be cherished and missed by her children, Steve Rench (Ginny), Debra Wilcox (late Michael), and Lori Stahl (Frank); her grandchildren, Stacey Rench Wood (Rich), Erin Wilcox Chapple (Jeremy), Scott Stahl (Bren), Erica Stahl Reppart (Kelly), Jacqueline Stahl and her numerous adoring great-grandchildren. Services were entrusted to the care of Lietz Fraze Funeral Home. Thoughts and condolences can be sent to the family at www.lietz- frazefuneralhome.com. To send a free card, go to www.sendoutcards.com/lietzfraze |
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