STEPHANIE WILSON-MACINERNEY

Stephanie A “Stevie” Wilson-MacInerney

Stephanie passed away peacefully Sunday evening, January 30, 2022, at the age of 76, surrounded by love with her family at her side. And what a long, beautiful journey she had to her final days. Raised in the small town of Amasa, MI, Stevie started her life April 16, 1945 surrounded with love and family. Her childhood home was led by her mother for most of her life, after her father's early passing. Stephanie was afforded the good fortune to grow up in a warm, welcoming home. A busy little house, it was the place everybody stopped when they visited town for a cup of coffee, engaging conversation, and hearty laughter. It was here where Stevie learned to appreciate the value of conversation, religion, and education, though not necessarily through formal institutions as much as the school of life. This environment, rich in appreciation for arts and politics, fed her talents, which she honed through a correspondence course in drawing and painting, allowing her to develop into a truly talented, creative artist.

As a devoted Catholic in her youth, Stephanie shared her passion for art and the church designing the aesthetics for the Catholic church in Crystal Falls, including her own original sculptures, paintings, and stained-glass window designs. Her devotion to God led her to join the Catholic diocese in Marquette, MI as a novitiate (Sister Christian Barbara) shortly after graduating high school. After a year of living in the convent, Stephanie found her calling for a bigger world than she would have experienced as a nun and left to travel with her sister. Irish folk music was a large part of the soundtrack in the Wilson household and drew the sisters to visit Ireland. Stephanie fell in love with the country, rich in the arts and history, and decided to set roots there for several years. She worked in a number of positions in Ireland, including as a hotel clerk in Kilkee, County Clare and for the Irish Times in Dublin. It was here where she would further nurture her love of family, by starting her own with the birth of her first child, Marcus. This love of family would call her back to the states shortly after his birth, to share his upbringing with his American kin, marry her first husband Ralph, and add another child to her clan, with the birth of her daughter Joan.

As a parent, Stephanie fostered her mother's ideologies and ran a household rich in arts, education, and political interest. She became a devoted mother, proud to see her children pursue the tenets and interests she was raised with. Her home was warm and welcoming and often busy with visitors who enjoyed many hours of talking and laughter with her.

Stephanie continued to enjoy traveling with her kids and went on frequent excursions with her family. Museums, live music, theater, and nature were common themes for these trips. And of course, Irishfest was an annual tradition for many years. Towards the end of her career Stephanie again seized the opportunity to travel back to Ireland on several occasions, reuniting and eventually marrying Marcus' father, David. After his passing, Stephanie brought her daughter on one last trip to Ireland, sharing her youthful adventures and many fond memories of her times there.

A layered woman, Stephanie had a more shy, contemplative side to her, and loved time spent alone, devouring books, gardening, and working on creative projects including drawing, painting, decorating her home, and building dollhouses and miniature furniture. She authored a monthly article for the U.P. Catholic newspaper from 1989 to 1992 called Women's View, passed down from her aunt and godmother (and huge fan) Helen Jagielski. Though her faith evolved over her lifetime, and she gradually fell away from the Catholic church, she went on to embrace a more undefined spiritual belief, though just as passionate and devoted. Aside from her many and varied interests, she worked full time at Kimberly Clark for 20 years. She retired in 2000 and spent the rest of her years between “da U.P.” and the Fox Valley area. She enjoyed the quiet of the Northwoods, rich in family history and nature, as well as all the opportunities of city living in the Valley, with culture to experience, events to attend, places to shop, and restaurants to enjoy.

Stephanie was preceded in death by her parents, Elmer and Emelia “Maude” Wilson; her sister, Emily Wilson; sister-in-law Carol Wilson; cousin, Barry Besiak; ex-husband, Ralph Steckling; and second husband, David MacInerney. She is survived by her brother, Jerome Wilson; her children, Marcus Wilson (Emily Evanoff) and Joan (Richard) Wright; her grandchildren, Dakota Balke and Rhonan MacInerney-Nason; nephews and niece: Brendan Wilson, Noel (Todd) Nilson, and Gabriel (Penny) Wilson, cousins, Judy (Conrad) Cornelia, Linda Besiak, and Joe Besiak; along with other extended family members and dear friends. The family wishes to thank the wonderful staff at Evergreen and Bella Vista Retirement Communities, Heartland Hospice, and her exceptional Nurse Practitioner, Donna Hawley, for all the support and care they offered Stephanie and her family throughout the last 2 years.

Mom, I am going to miss you so much. We enjoyed so many adventures together, big and small, so many common interests, and so many laughs. Our daily phone calls and frequent visits will now become a huge void in my life. Thankfully, you instilled your fiercely independent nature in me that will provide me with resilience through this time of grief. I know you are not gone; you are simply free of this world's limitations and enjoying a reunion with those that have gone before you. I know you will still be with me for our daily chats, until we meet again. I love you, always.              

Per Stephanie's wishes, no funeral service will be held.