BLANCHE PADOUR MULRY
BLANCHE PADOUR MULRY
Under the care of St. Croix Hospice, Blanche Padour Mulry, 101.5 years, left this earthly plain Nov. 8, 2022, at Heartis North Shore, Glendale, WI, her home since early 2020.
Born May 17, 1921, to Czech immigrant parents, Joseph and Elizabeth (Basta) Padour in the Town of Kaiser, Price County, WI, she began her life journey. She lived many places around Wisconsin, including Crandon, Stevens Point, Hixton/Taylor, Whitehall, Shamrock, Shawano, Milwaukee and Glendale. She visited many other places in the U.S. (east, west and south), spending brief times in Florida for three winter seasons in her 90s. She toured places in Canada, the Czech Republic and Slovakia as well.
Blanche graduated from Crandon High School in 1940 as salutatorian and began Stevens Point Teachers College (UW-Stevens Point) on a scholarship. Working her way through school, she graduated in 1944 with a bachelor of science degree in home economics, with minors in science and history. She was the first person in her family to attend college.
Her first teaching position was in Hixton at Jackson High School, during which time she met her husband, Douglas Mulry, a bachelor farmer. Before her marriage, she was also a University of Wisconsin Extension home agent in Trempealeau County. She married Doug at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Independence, WI, on Sept. 7, 1946. She was a hard-working farmer’s wife (a quality she kept throughout her life) for 19 years, and she raised nine children. She then went back to teaching, first at Melrose High School, then Black River Falls High School and after that at Gresham High School. On retirement at 62, she obtained a real estate license and worked as a substitute teacher on the Menomimee reservation. Her family was her life, and she enjoyed their visits as well as traveling with family to see other family. Her baking and cooking were appreciated. She seldom came for a visit without cookies of some sort. She was a generous person who will be missed.
Blanche is survived by her children: Patty Mulry (Norm Myhre), Hixton; Brian Mulry (Mary), Sleepy Eye, MN; Gregg Mulry (Robert Schambers), Milwaukee; Brenda Mulry (Louis Desprez), St. Paul, MN; Dan Mulry, Oshkosh; Mary Mulry, Longmont, CO; Sheronne Mulry, Winona, MN; son-in-law David Sperberg, Shawano; grandchildren: Charity (John) Anderson, Rockford, MN; Erin Mulry, Newport, RI; Johanna Desprez (Jake Thebault-Spieker), Madison; Tim (Andrea) Mulry, St Paul, MN; Caleb Sperberg (Madison Lemerond) Shawano; great-grandchildren: Brendan Gaborik (Yuki Mitchum); Quinn Gaborik (Aliza Jo Guttum); Aiden Anderson; Noah Anderson; Guy Mulry and Ramona Mulry; great-great-grandchildren: Nova Gaborik and Romi Gaborik; special friends: Dawn Kuhn, Alexis Drake, Toni Howard, Ken Multhauf and Rosemary Wheeler; and numerous nieces and nephews, including Janet Padour, who visited Blanche in Glendale and in Blanche’s last years, sent her countless letters, cards and photos.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Doug (after a 50-year relationship); her children, Terence Mulry and Anna May Sperberg; her parents; her siblings: Ed ( Norma) Padour; Bill (Margie) Padour; Elsie Dumond; Stella (Jack) Morrison; Joe (Frankie) Padour; Charlie (Margie Miller Whipple) Padour and Doris (O.J.) Stiles; in-laws: Will and Anna Mulry; and all of her husband’s siblings: Frances (Jack) Brandvold, Verna Mulry, Keith Mulry, Donald (Elva) Mulry, Mildred (Teeny) Trittin and Margaret (Clair) Larson.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date.