Genevieve Sweeney

Genevieve Sweeney, 86, of Staples died on Thursday, January 3, 2013 at her home. Visitation will be on Monday, January 7, 2013 at Brenny Funeral Chapel in Staples from 5:00-8:00PM with rosary service at 7:00 PM and one hour prior to services at the church. Services for Genevieve will be held on Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Staples, MN at 10:30AM. Interment will be held on St. Isidore's Catholic Church Cemetery in Moran Township.

Genevieve was born on May 11, 1926 in Moran Township, MN to Albert and Pauline (Magdziarz) Dukowitz. She lived and worked in Chicago and Minneapolis, MN prior to marrying David S Sweeney on October 12, 1948. After marrying David and Genevieve lived for a short time in St. Paul, MN before returning to Staples, MN where they raised their 3 sons and daughter. She was an active member of St. Isidore's Parish until it closed. Genevieve worked as a seamstress at Carter Ringer Co. for many years. She loved the farm that they lived on. Besides working outside the home, she was an actively involved farm wife, whether it is was milking the cows, making hay, raisin HUGE gardens and canning enough to last the winter. She was a hard working, generous, and loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and aunt. Genevieve loved sewing and adding special touches to many of the clothes she made for her children. She loved watching the animals, birds, and butterflies. She also loved reading, and playing music on her accordion and organ. Genevieve "couldn't have a favorite flower because they are all so beautiful." She loved riding her motorcycle and was very proud that she still had her endorsement at the age of 86.
Some of the favorite memories by her family are:
David S "So many"
David J "I couldn't have asked for a better supermom."
Carrie "If I had a lot of money I'd have hired her because she was an awesome cook."
Brandon "When she made me the gizmo costume, it was awesome. She always hung my drawings on the frig."
Erik "She always gave me my own jar of jelly. Then I'd go home and hide it in the back of the frig."
Luke "trying to find that jar of jelly that she gave Erik."
Dan Her smile
LuAnn "She always made Christmas so special and that meant so much to me. She always made poppy seed cakes for her kids even as adults because it was their favorite."
Paul "1984 trip to the Black Hills with grandma and grandpa. In 1988 Grandma hired me to clean out the barn because Grandpa was gone working."
Ryan "I loved her egg sandwiches and we had a code word E.S. when I said E.S. out would come the frying pan. She always made everyone feel special."
Mark "Being such a wonderful Mom."
Lucinda (Cindy) "As a kid, when we would go somewhere and get lost, she said the road always comes out somewhere. Good advice mom, I still use that philosophy today. How generous she was and how she always shared. I remember being in the house alone with her and she brought out a can of ginger-ale and we split it."
Jennifer "In the summer, when I would spend a week on the farm and go into the garden with her and find potato bus with what she called my "eagle eye."
Michelle "Her homemade waffles with homemade whipped cream. She was the only woman in the house that I could talk politics with. Her hugs because she never wanted to let go."
Aiden "When I came up, caught kittens and we would pet baby kitties together. She let me take a kitty home. She makes the best dumplings."

Genevieve is survived by her husband of 64 years, David of Staples, MN; children, David (Carrie) of Rice, MN and their children, Brandon, Erik and Luke, Daniel (LuAnn) of Staples, MN and their children, Paul and Ryan, Mark Sweeney of Staples, MN, and Lucinda of Robbinsdale, MN and her children, Jennifer (Steve) Kessler and Michelle Chenoweth; great-grandchild, Aidan Chenoweth; and siblings, Leona Supella of Glenview, IL, Donald Dukowitz of Staples, MN, Clifford Dukowitz of Salem, WI, and Sylvia Reis of St. Wendell, MN. She was preceded in death by her parens, Albert and Pauline; siblings, David, Albert, and LeRoy Dukowitz.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Brenny Funeral Chapel in Staples, MN.