Written by Kitty Mead

Our Mom, Lorraine O’Connor (Bauer), passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 26, 2016. She was a resident of The Bridges of Milwaukee for a few years and although she appreciated the good care and wonderful staff there, she missed being in her own home with her cat Snickers. A few days before she passed away, she stopped eating and decided to go to sleep. I whispered in her ear that she could leave us… she was truly loved, but her long gone pals, her beloved dogs, were waiting for her. Two hours later they called me at home and told me that she passed. I knew she was now at peace and with all of her friends and family that passed before her.

Mom was born December 29, 1930, an only child to the late Esther and Jonas Bauer. She had two children, Kitty and Kelly Turk. She was an awesome Gramma to Jennie (Brian) Quinn and Jimmy Mead. She was “GG” (great-grandma) to her two great-grandkids, Nola Grace and Ellis James. She was also preceded in death by her former husband, John O’Connor.

She was in the U.S. Air Force and returned to Milwaukee after she left the service. Our Mom was a huge animal activist, volunteered at the Humane Society, and was owner/operator of “House of Grooming” – a pet grooming service in Milwaukee. She was one of my best friends and we even went to a tropical fish convention in Chicago when both of us had fish for pets.

Mom spent at least the last decade of her life reading and writing and making new friends on her computer. She absolutely loved to blog and was one of the earliest seniors to have her own blog in 2001.

Our Mom was a strong, funny, smart and independent woman, and we’re going to miss her very much.

Thank you Bridges of Milwaukee and AseraCare Hospice for your loving and efficient care of our Mom.

Our mom is having a military honors service with just our family present.

Wonderful mother of Kitty, and mother in law of Jim Mead.