Gail Freyermuth
Gail Ann Freyermuth
April 24th, 1943 – October 17th, 2025
*Author’s Note: The following excerpts in our “Life Stories” are from the Celebration of Life service for Gail Freyermuth for you to read, reflect, and pay your respects privately. Loved ones gathered to celebrate her beautiful life, and her dear quilting friend, Laurie, shared sweet sentiments. It was a lovely honor to learn about Gail and to serve her family with a heartfelt memorial service. She will be dearly missed by many.
~~~
All of us gather here today with broken hearts because Gail is no longer a physical presence in our lives. We have a powerful sense of loss. Where we are experiencing her loss- a missing piece- Gail is experiencing completeness- wholeness. May you know in your heart that Gail’s journey is complete, she is home now in the loving embrace of our Lord in heaven. She is reunited with the many loved ones she had been missing including her parents, Harry and Ella, and her dear husband, Ron. She is surrounded by love.
And while the broken pieces of your heart will never quite be the same, know that Gail would not want your heart to be troubled. “What the caterpillar perceives as the end, to the butterfly is just the beginning.” What we perceive as the end of her life here on this earth is only the beginning of her eternal life in heaven. May you find comfort in sweet memories, may you find peace in the ways you find her to still be a part of your present, and may you find hope in being reunited with her some day in the kingdom of God.
~~~
We are surrounded today by some of the quilts that Gail handmade. With love and patience, she planned and created gifts of beauty and warmth for her loved ones. Surrounded by fabric and laughter, quilting was her happy place. These are priceless treasures of her talents, her generosity, and her love.
A quilter treasures life’s moments one stitch at a time. She knows the joy of patiently creating a work of art that can only grow more precious with the gift of years. She tells a beautiful story with patterns and colors, and the patchwork of her life is woven with threads of laughter and tears, memories and dreams. A quilter understands the value of preserving the past and has a heart gentle enough to stitch the gift of love into our lives for the future. A quilter knows the blessing of treasuring life’s moments one stich at a time.
~~~
Gail was born in Racine on April 24th, 1943. An only child, Gail was a beacon of love and light to her family and to all who were blessed to know her.
On October 3rd, 1964, she united in marriage with Ron, and they spent 54 wonderful years together until his passing. After being discharged from the military, Ron, a Boston native, visited a friend in Racine, WI. Their goal was to head out to California for a fresh, new start. Ron met Gail and, while he never did make it to California, he achieved his goal of a fresh, new start and built a beautiful family and a wonderful life in Kenosha, WI.
Gail and Ron welcomed two children into the world, Jackie and Colleen. Gail adored being a mom and embraced all the neighborhood friends, block party activities, card parties, craft projects, and being a Girl Scout leader. Gail made every holiday special with all her extra touches. She worked as an office manager for a CPA firm. She was a long-time member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church and the Moose Lodge. She was a proud member of Southport Quilters.
Gail and Ron were glued together in the cutest, most beautiful way. If they ordered a pizza, they both drove together to pick it up. If Gail was still watching TV, Ron would doze off in his chair until they would both go to the bedroom together. Gail took loving care of Ron, and they are glued together again, in heaven.
Gail was witty, sassy, very sociable, and known for her one-liners. She liked to entertain and keep everyone well-fed, especially with cookies. She enjoyed quilting and shopping and loved the color blue. She was a momma through and through, a loving worry wart, and always concerned for everyone she loved. Her family was the best part of her life. Gail was an amazing mother, and her daughters learned so much from her about life and love and goodness…they just didn’t learn how to quilt. Gail adored being grandma and loved visits with Connor. They’d make cookies and pumpkin pies and play BINGO.
At the end, Gail spent some time at Ciel of Shorewood, and she really did like it there. The staff adored her. When the staff had break times, they would choose to go to Gail’s room to sit and chat with her. She was well-loved and left a lasting impression.
~~~
It does feel like Gail’s 82 years went by way too quickly. While no length of time with our loved ones will ever seem long enough, know that it was an absolute blessing to have had Gail present on this earth for over 8 decades. Her time here and her time spent with each of you was a precious gift. When your world is feeling a little too empty, may you fill it with gratitude that your time here overlapped with Gail’s and that you were blessed to know her.
There are so many stories to tell and memories to relive. Please share the memories and share the love, today and in the days and years to come, so that Gail’s legacy may endure. Take gentle advice from her passion for quilting:
Life itself is like a quilt, years bound together, embellished with family and friends, backed with tradition, stitched with love, cornerstones carefully placed, all to create a unique journey through time. So,
- Make lasting memories
- Block out time for family
- Cherish tradition
- Keep your friends in stitches
- Find common threads
- Know when to cut corners
- It’s OK to be a little scrappy!
~~~
Gail will be forever loved and missed by her children, Jackie and Colleen, her son-in-law, Rich, her grandson, Connor, her cousin, Karen, and many other dear family members and friends.
~~~
Gail, may you rest in eternal peace knowing you are dearly loved.
My sincere condolences and love, Holly