Judith Vesely

“She will be perfect in every way and dance with the angels” Mom graduated from Rockford high School in 1958, and attended the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater where she met Roderick Ostrem. They were married July 25, 1959, and moved to Rod’s hometown, Viroqua, Wisconsin, where they had three daughters. They divorced in 1974. Mom worked as a legal secretary for the District Attorney Larry Sieger for many years in Viroqua. In 1977, she met and married James Vesely and moved to LaGrange, Illinois. They later divorced and mom moved to downtown Chicago. How Mom loved the big city and all that it had to offer. She worked as a legal secretary for a law firm in the city and took advantage of the incredible cultural activities available there. In 1988, she moved to Washington D.C., to be close to youngest daughter Heather. When Heather and her family moved to Pinehurst, North Carolina, Mom followed after her retirement a year later. Before it became apparent that Mom could no longer live alone, she traveled to wonderful destinations – Africa, Portugal, France, Italy. She was an avid reader and loved her books. What gave her the most joy was her love for theater, symphony, ballet, music, and her grandchildren. Tracy and her husband Eric, and Mom moved to La Crosse in 2015 due to Mom’s declining health. Alzheimer’s took our Mom’s memory, but she gave her daughters so much. As daughters of Judy, we are the lucky ones. We have been blessed with an incredible Mother and we always knew her love for us had no limits. She is survived by her three daughters: Trina (Greg) Schlifer (La Crosse), Tracy (Eric) Doyle (La Crosse), and Heather Ostrem Lyons (Pinehurst). She is also survived by seven grandchildren: Andrew (Abilene) Schlifer (Viroqua), Adam (fiancé Tia Schroeder) Schlifer (Onalaska), and Benjamin (fiancé Jamie Bogosian) Findlay, Hannah (Nick) Pleiman (Washington D.C.), and Noah, Aidan, and Grace Lyons (Pinehurst); one step great-grandchild, Ella; and two great-grandchildren, Emersyn and Elliott. She is survived by her sister Joan and many nieces and nephews, and her dearest lifelong friends, Becky Larson and Libby Harris of Viroqua. Death: Her parents, Ronald and Beulah Steffa and her brothers, Dennis and David Steffa.