Annette M. Lalor

MADISON-Annette Marie (Decot) Lalor, passed away on her 75th birthday, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014, at her home, surrounded by her family. She was the daughter of Eugene Theodore “Ted” and Gladys Marie (Hendrickson) Decot. Annette was baptized and confirmed at Rio Lutheran Church, where she was also in the Junior Choir, Senior Choir and the Luther League. She attended 1st grade at Otsego Grade School and 2nd – 8th grade at Pleasure Hill Grade School, a one-room country school, where she was the only one in her class. As a result of this, she was taught in the grade ahead. Annette then was assigned to tutor the younger students while at the same time completing her own class work. She was very interested in the arts and crafts projects and won many blue ribbons for art and writing projects in the Columbia County Fair. In 8th grade she volunteered to make all the costumes for the school’s annual Christmas pageant. It was quite an undertaking, but she used the sewing skills she had learned in 4-H sewing classes and had practiced since she was 10 years old. Annette graduated from Rio High School in 1957, where she was involved in girl’s chorus, school paper, Forensics, yearbook and was on the junior prom court and crowned the football homecoming queen. After high school she went on to do clerical work for Rural Mutual Insurance Company. Annette was united in marriage to D. Joseph “Joe” Lalor on August 30, 1958, together they had three children, Laurie Jo, Donne and Melanie. While the children were small, Annette was able to get back into her art and craft work. She displayed and sold her pieces at many area art shows, including, East Towne Mall, West Towne Mall, Sun Prairie Art Fair, Portage Art Fair, Baraboo’s Art Fair on the Square, Wisconsin Dells Wo-Za-Wah Days, Dodgeville Christmas Fair and Waunakee Art Fair, among others. After the children were in school she became employed full time at several Madison businesses over the years. Due to her husband’s sudden disabling illness in 2001, she retired in order to devote herself full time to caring for him. Annette retired after working 13 years at the Madison Bureau of the Milwaukee Journal. She was a member of Messiah Lutheran Church since 1968, serving as a Sunday school teacher, greeter, usher, pie and treat maker. Annette was known to her neighborhood friends as “Lady of the Lake and to her grandchildren as the “Glitzy Grandma”. She will be dearly missed by her daughter, Laurie Jo (Mark) Neesvig; son, Donne Patrick (Beth) Lalor; daughter, Melanie Anne (Bob) Weiss; grandchildren, Joseph (Tabatha) Lalor; Ashley Anne (Myles) Wegner, Justin (fiancé Kaolee) Lalor, Anne Lalor, Brandon Lalor, Nathan Neesvig, Karissa (friend Dave) Neesvig, Laramie-Leigh (friend Derek) Weiss and Lydia Lalor; great-grandchildren, Aiyana and Jaiden Lalor, Micah Lalor, Easton and Bruchs Wegner, Maverick Lalor and Chenoa Lalor; brothers, Eugene (Judi) Decot and Gerald (Helene) Decot; brothers-in-law, Cary (Barb) Lalor, David (Kelly) Lalor, John (Donna) Lalor, Dan (Judy) Lalor and Bryant Pentecost; God-daughter and niece, Christene Decot and many nieces, nephews and their children. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Joe on Sept. 2, 2014; infant brother, Gene Carroll Decot; infant twin sisters, Georgette Jeanne and Charlotte Eileen Decot; infant sister, Gloria Mae Decot; sister-in-law, Sharon Pentecost; and nephew, Ronald Pentecost. Funeral services will be held at MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH, 5202 Cottage Grove Rd, Madison, at Noon, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2014, with Pastor Jeff Vanden Heuvel presiding. Burial will be at Forest Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of the service on Tuesday. The family wishes to thank Agrace HospiceCare, and these special people in her life; Janet, Gene and Judi, Dave, Shirley and Ron, who went above and beyond for our Mom! Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608)221-5420