Louise Farrell

Louise Farrell was a devoted wife, mother, and grandma who always kept her family in the center of her thoughts. With her cheerful nature and fun-loving attitude, Louise tried each day to share her good spirits with the many people she loved.

The year 1917 marked a time of uncertainty throughout America, as the Great War in Europe pushed toward new heights. Amid this uncertainty, John Curran and his wife Mary Ellen Conlon maintained their optimistic spirits by focusing on the many blessings in their life together. On August 19, 1917, they welcomed their daughter Louise and her twin brother Louis into their home in Kalamazoo .

The fourth of six children, Louise grew up in Kalamazoo with the close company of her siblings Grace, Mary, Joe, Louis, and Jean. Her father provided for the family through his job at the Burdick Hotel, and her mother worked at the family-owned grocery. Since both parents held full-time jobs, Louise and her siblings learned to be independent at a young age. To make sure that everything around the house ran smoothly, each child had a particular job within the family. When Louise was twelve years old, her mother died unexpectedly from heart complications; six years later her father also passed away. The children now took on new responsibilities. Louise's job was to take care of the house and even pay the bills. Grace became a mother figure for Louise, and all the Curran children bonded together to work through their hardship and grief. Throughout her life, Louise remained close with her brothers and sisters, keeping them always in the center of her thoughts.

Louise was raised in a traditional Irish Catholic setting, and like her siblings, she received a parochial education at St. Augustine's Catholic School . After graduating from St. Augustine's, Louise enrolled at Mars Business College where she earned a two-year degree in Business Administration.

While Louise was a student at Mars Business, she was introduced by her sister to a handsome young man named Charles Farrell. She and Chuck soon began dating, and they quickly discovered that they had a lot of mutual interests. They were both avid readers and they shared the same religious beliefs. After dating for a little over two years, they were married on January 12, 1938 at St. Augustine Catholic Church.

Just one year after their marriage, Louise and Chuck were blessed with their first child, Chuck Jr. Over the following years, the Farrell family grew with the births of ten more children, John, Jim, Bob, Dave, Mary, Tom, Patty, Kathy, Jeannie, and Virginia. Needless to say, Louise now dedicated herself wholly to her job as a homemaker. Even though the house was always busy with eleven children, Louise kept a very tidy home. Although Louise was the disciplinarian, her children all remember her as a loving, warm-hearted mother who would tell it like it is. She taught her kids to stand firmly on their values, but to also remain open-minded and flexible enough to change with the times.

Louise and Chuck instilled traditional Catholic values in their children. When the family lived on the North Side of Kalamazoo, the children all attended St. Augustine schools; after moving to the South side, the Farrell's began attending St. Joseph 's Church and its school. After Sunday Mass, Louise always prepared a huge roast dinner complete with all the trimmings. She worked hard to prepare many wonderful meals for her family. Because Louise spent so much time cooking, the kitchen became a gathering place for family and friends alike. When she was not cooking, Louise enjoyed chatting with her family over a hot cup of coffee. If it was later in the day, she liked to sit down at the kitchen table with a cold beer.

Louise and Chuck were blessed with a great relationship full of mutual respect and love. They were the best of friends, and even though they didn't always agree on certain issues, they loved a good conversation. Louise and Chuck were both very well read; they kept up on all the current events, both locally and nationally, and they openly debated many topics. The kids would often say, "Stop arguing," to which Louise or Chuck would reply, "We're not arguing, we're just having a discussion." Louise had a very difficult time after Chuck passed away in 1983. Throughout his battle with cancer, Louise had stayed by his side and held his hand. She relied on the support of her faith and her family to guide her through her grief.

In her later years, Louise was pleased to see her family grow with the blessing of twenty-nine grandchildren and twenty great-grandkids. Louise remained very well read and politically-minded. She was always concerned with national and local events, and she could converse with anyone about current affairs. She was a staunch Democrat who was more than happy to share her views. Recently, Louise spoke about the war in Iraq to her grandnephew, whom was on a temporary leave from the Middle East ; he was amazed at how thoroughly Louise had challenged his beliefs. In addition to her political interests, Louise continued to enjoy cooking, bowling, and socializing with family and friends.

Among the many people who loved Louise, she will be remembered as a charming, fun-loving woman with a hard work ethic and a generous heart.

Louise died on November 16, 2005 at her home surrounded by family. Learn more about Louise and visit with her family and friends Friday from 2:00-4:00 and 6:00-8:00 PM at the Betzler Life Story Funeral Home, Stadium Drive, West of US-131, 375-2900. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 AM Saturday at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Members of Louise's family include her children: Charles (Mary Ann) Farrell, John Farrell, Jim Farrell, Bob Farrell, Dave (Jan) Farrell all of Kalamazoo, Mary (Tom) Murphy of Franklin, TN, Tom (Linda) Farrell of Kalamazoo, Patty (Bob) Matyas of Portage, Kathy (Dennis) Swinehart and Jeannie (Dave) DeWaters all of Mattawan, and Virginia Ehrnstrom of Kalamazoo; twenty-nine grandchildren; twenty great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Please visit Louise's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can archive a favorite memory, order flowers, or make a memorial contribution to St. Joseph 's Catholic Church or the charity of your choice.