Mary Lea Yeomans

MaryLea Yeomans, 83, of LaCrosse, died on October 26, 2022. She was born on August 21,1939 to Norman and Marie Shogren.

Mary Lea Yeomans

She was a beloved mother, sister, grandmother and friend, and an active part of the La Crosse community. MaryLea started her own business of passionate work as a caregiver in La Crosse at the age of 75, with the intention of keeping many older people in their homes as long as possible by contributing her own special skills. If you rang her doorbell on a Sunday, you would be invited in to taste a homemade soup, or peek into the oven at a pot roast about to be packed into a picnic basket for delivery to someone happily anticipating her home cooking for dinner.

Her way of keeping someone in their home might be to sit down at their kitchen table and invite them to a game of gin. Often she would take them on long winding drives through the Wisconsin countryside, which fueled happy memories and laughter or deep conversations on the peace that comes later in life as we each learn to finally let go.

A business woman, entrepreneur and advocate of taking good care of yourself, she had a deep understanding of the need for balance and maintaining health and harmony on the inside in order to contribute the best she had to offer. Her love for her family and for her community reflected in the smile in her eyes and the generosity in her heart as she opened her home for others to enjoy through her Friday bridge club, scrapbooking projects, or the neighborhood children knocking on her door for her ever present ranger or chocolate chip cookies.

This quote from Widdy, her friend and client, is an example of how much she influenced others with her thoughtfulness and unconditional love: “Mary Lea was a huge encouragement to me! She shared her faith and watched as I finally accepted Jesus into my life. She filled in all the household needs as I started voraciously studying the Bible and teaching classes. Totally engrossed in my studies, I often forgot to eat. Mary Lea would enter my study with a delicious lunch always complete with little pickles or olives. She loved to serve people and make their lives a little better. She certainly improved the quality of my life.”

She even shared her faith and love for Jesus with the doctors and hospital staff during her recent stay there. Her favorite passage is Psalm 23, and her favorite verse is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

She is survived by two sons, Greg Yeomans and his wife, Marla, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Scott Yeomans and his wife Stacy of Minneapolis, her grandchildren, Lizzie, Lexi, Nate, Spencer and his wife Sarah, and Lily, her brother Al Shogren of La Crosse, and her sister, Linda Prejean, of Los Angeles. She was preceded in death by brother Bill Shogren of Baraboo, Wisconsin.

Her sudden and unexpected diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia came only eight days before her passing. She was surrounded by her loved ones and, true to her own wish for others, she was able to stay in her home all the way to a peaceful ending of a full and healthy life.

Lastly, the family would like to extend a very heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped mom in the final days of her life, especially all of the hospice workers from Gunderson (Greg and Mary were extremely loving, kind and helpful), Jenn and the staff at the Gunderson clinic, Cullen and the rest of the staff at the Gunderson Hospital, the LaCrosse police, and all of mom’s friends who have shown us great love through this unexpected and difficult time. We are very thankful to all of you.

Memorial Services will be held at the Dickinson Funeral Home Sunday, November 6 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m..