Lettie M. Aker

LETTIE M. AKER LETTIE M. AKER DIED IN HER DAUGHTER AND CARE GIVER'S (CATHERINE) HOME ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 27, 2013. SHE WAS BORN ON AUGUST 14, 1926 THE DAUGHTER OF THE LATE WILLIAM H. AND PHILOMENA M. (GALLO) SHIPMAN. SHE ATTENDED SCHOOLS IN PUEBLO, COLORADO BEFORE HER FAMILY MOVED TO KENOSHA, WISCONSIN IN 1942. IN 1944 LETTIE MARRIED CHARLES D SUMMERS IN KENOSHA, WISCONSIN. THEY LATER DIVORCED. IN 1968 LETTIE MARRIED THOMAS H. O’BRIEN. THEY LATER DIVORCED. IN KENOSHA, WISCONSIN. IN 2005 LETTIE MARRIED BERNARD R. AKER IN IOLA, WISCONSIN. BERNARD PASSED AWAY JULY, 2009. LETTIE IS SURVIVED BY TWO DAUGHTERS, CATHERINE M. JACKSON (RON COLBY) IOLA, WISCONSIN AND LORRAINE A. SUMMERS, KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, DAUGHTER IN LAW DEANNA SUMMERS, KENOSHA, WISCONSIN AND SON IN LAW PETE TUCKER, IOLA, WISCONSIN. LETTIE’S PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS WERE HER GRANDCHILDREN. SHE HAS EIGHT GRANDCHILDREN, JAMES, JOHN, JANET, JACKIE, CHARLENE, SHAWN, MARGO, AND BRIDGET. SHE HAS EIGHTEEN GREAT- GRANDCHILDREN, SHAYNE, DAVID, PAULA, JAMIE, JACOB, TAYLOR, BROOKLYN, STEPHANIE, BRANDON, LINDSEY, ADAM, KATIE, JOEY, JOSHUA, MELISSA, SAMANTHA, LANDON, AND LOGAN. ALSO SHE HAS THREE GREAT- GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, KYLE, ALEX, AND SERENIDEE. LETTIE HAS SURVIVING EXTENDED FAMILY WHOM SHE WAS LIKE A MOM TO THEM. SHE ALSO HAS SURVIVING NEPHEWS AND NIECES WHOM SHE LOVED DEARLY. DECEASED FAMILY BESIDES HER PARENTS AND HUSBAND BERNARD R. AKER ARE HER SON CHARLES W. SUMMERS, HER DAUGHTER SHARON L. TUCKER, HER BROTHER WILLIAM J. SHIPMAN, SISTER IN LAW MARGARET SHIPMAN, AND GREAT GRANDSON CHARLES W. SUMMERS II. LETTIE OWNED AND WORKED IN RESTAURANTS IN EARLIER YEARS. LATER WORKED TWENTYFIVE YEARS AS ASSISTANT MANAGER FOR ST. VINCENT DE PAUL STORE, IN KENOSHA, WISCONSIN. WHEN SHE AND HUSBAND TOM MOVED TO IOLA, WISCONSIN IN 1977 LETTIE OPENED AND OPERATED A SECOND HAND STORE IN ROSHOLT AND THEN IN IOLA BEFORE RETIRING IN APPROX. BY 1983. LETTIE WAS A LIFETIME MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY AND LIFETIME MEMBER OF DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS. SHE WAS PRESIDENT OF IOLA’S VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS LADIES AUXILIARY BEFORE IT DISBANDED YEARS AGO. FAVORITE PASTTIMES: LOVED TO SHOP AT GOODWILL STORES, JUNK SHOPS, AND RUMMAGE SALES. COLLECTED DOLLS, LOVED DECORATING FOR THE HOLIDAYS, AND WOULD DRESS UP AT HALLOWEEN TO GIVE OUT CANDY TO THE CHILDREN. SHE WAS A CAMERA BUFF, ALWAYS HAD HER CAMERA ON HAND TO GET YOUR PICTURE. LETTIE LOVED TO EAT AT VARIOUS RESTAURANTS AND HAD MANY FAVORITE WAITRESSES AND WAITERS. AT AGE 80 SHE LEARNED HOW TO USE A COMPUTER. SHE LOVED GETTING AND SENDING EMAIL. SHE WENT BY THE NAME LILGRAM. SHE LOVED ANIMALS. HER WARM AND FRIENDLY SMILE AND PETITE STATURE MADE HER APPROACHABLE BY MANY, OFTEN COMMENTING ON HER BEAUTY OF WEARING HATS. MANY PEOPLE REFERRED TO HER AS ‘THE LITTLE LADY IN RED’ WHEN SHE WOULD WEAR HER FAVORITE RED HAT. SHE LOVED PEOPLE AND WAS LOVED BY MANY FOR HER WIT, HUMOR, AND CHARISMA. SHE WAS A FUN AND LOVING MOM, THE BEST. SHE WILL BE SADLY MISSED AND FOREVER REMEMBERED WITH A SMILE IN OUR HEARTS. A MEMORIAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2013 @ 1:30 PM AT THE VOIE FUNERAL HOME IN IOLA. VISITATION WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY FROM 12:30 PM UNTIL THE TIME OF THE SERVICE. SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THEDA CARE AT HOME HOSPICE STAFF AND HOSPICE VOLUNTEERS MARY AND FRAN. THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO PITCHED IN WITH HELPING STAY WITH HER WHEN WE HAD SOME URGENT EVENTS TAKE PLACE. ALSO SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO SENT HER CARDS, NOTES, AND THOSE WHO VISITED WHEN SHE BECAME BEDRIDDEN. YOU MADE HER DAY. "REMEMBER ME WITH SMILES AND LAUGHTER FOR THAT'S HOW I'LL REMEMBER YOU ALL. IF YOU CAN ONLY REMEMBER ME WITH TEARS, THEN DON'T REMEMBER ME AT ALL."