An Interview with Dee Steele
by Jennifer Parker
Dee Steele loves to give and volunteer. She contributed so much to the Unity community over the years as well as to other organizations. I loved hearing about her life and know you will also. Dee is unable to come to services now but listens online and I know misses us.
What would you like to share with the community about your life?
“I was born Diane Catherine Werner in Milwaukee. I am the oldest of four children and have two sisters and a brother. When I was 22 months old, my parents bought a home in Milwaukee and lived there for just under 17 years. I had a lot of fun there.” Dee’s father built ice ponds in the back yard so they could skate. The neighborhood kids played a lot of games together, and she rode her bike to the park for tennis and swimming.
“As the oldest I was my mother’s helper. She taught me how to bake, can, shop, and keep house. I also learned a lot from my father, like painting and mending things. I went to Townsend grade school, Peckham Junior High, and Washington High School. I did a lot of babysitting and enjoyed it. I love children.”
“My mother was an only child. Her parents were there every week. Grandma taught me how to bake pies. They took me up north and grandpa taught me how to fish and also clean them. I enjoyed being with them.”
“In 1956, I was a junior in high school. My homeroom was next to Richard’s, and I fell in love with him.” Dee applied for a job at Woolworth’s, not realizing Richard was a window trimmer and stock boy there. They married five months later while they were still in high school. “Dick always said he met his million-dollar baby in the 5 and 10 cent store.” Their anniversary is March 14th.
Dee was no longer able to go to school, but Dick finished high school. The classes she loved were home economics in junior high. She loved homemaking and being a mother, so she didn’t mind not going to school. “I enjoyed sewing clothes for my daughter Pamela Dee and found great joy in motherhood.”
“We lived with Dick’s parents for about a year, and our first daughter, Pamela, was born there. Dick went on to be an assistant manager for the Woolworth’s stores and trained to become a manager. Fourteen months later, I had the privilege of giving birth to my second daughter, Wendy Sue. On December 25, 1960, I received a beautiful bundle of joy, Kathy Ann, my Christmas gift. She is named after her two great-grandmothers.” They bought their first home when Kathy was 24 months old.
When Dee’s daughter Pamela wanted to be in Brownies, there was no leader, so Dee became one for six years. “I took the girls camping, became the leader for them to learn how to make different things. Putting a candy cane into an orange. M&Ms into a banana. And of course we made s'mores. We had so much fun.”
Richard worked in the first McDonald’s restaurant in Milwaukee and then trained all the crew for other franchises. When Kathy was six years old, Dee began work for them and was the first woman to work for McDonald’s in Milwaukee. The uniforms were very different with hairnets, white shirts and a blue wool skirt. She worked there for three years and then worked for the Red Owl Corporation as the Deli manager.
Dee and the family belonged to a Lutheran church and decided to put their daughters into parochial school so they wouldn’t be bused to another location. Richard and she became involved in many of their activities.
“In 1969, we moved out of Milwaukee, found eight acres in Waterloo, bought a mobile home and moved.” They joined the Worldwide Church of God in Wisconsin Dells. It was based on the Old Testament and kept all the Old Testament holidays. The Wisconsin Dells location was one of the feast locations. We were part of that church for ten years.”
“We were city kids that didn’t know about farming, but through the church we met a couple who were farmers. We had chickens and goats and sheep. An example of how city kids think was we called our rooster Gregory Peck and the little shed for goats the raisin barn (after what comes out them). We raised all our food naturally without pesticides, alternated our crops so the insects didn’t get into our products, had a “you pick” raspberry patch, canned all our food, and heated our house with wood and our water with solar panels.”
“We converted our mobile home into a house over five or six years. We made our own cabinets and took stained glass classes. As a team, we rebuilt the whole structure, making it twice as wide with more rooms. Dick said anyone who could wallpaper together truly had a good marriage.”
Dee went back to school for an associate degree in finance. While attending, she became a grandmother for the first time. In 1979, she graduated with her degree the same year Kathy graduated from high school.
Dee then worked for twelve and half years at Verex, working her way up to manage thirty employees. She then went to work with Epic Life Insurance for four years until WPS lost the state contracts and almost all the Epic employees lost their jobs. Dee next worked for the sixth largest printing company in the world, Perry Judds. She was the general purchasing agent and saved them a couple of million dollars by streamlining their purchasing.
In 2000 on the summer solstice, Dick passed away from cancer. They were married for 44 years.
When Dee retired, her girls saw an article about a pastry class. She took the class and became a certified baker. “I love it. I love decorating and sewing and embroidering.”
Dee volunteered to bake for the Colonial Club. She also volunteered for Public Television for 35 years or more. “I loved doing the auction and the quilt show, the flower show, the antique show. We started by calling companies for supplies to auction. I went to the jail and picked up toys that the inmates made for the children. I drove all over Madison, picking up chocolate and other products. During the auction, I was a board captain. I gave tours of the facility as well.”
Dee is a member of the Gingersnaps, part of the Red Hatters, and has been their treasurer for twenty-one years. She disclosed, “I miss everything. I love being active.”
What brought you to Unity?
“My daughter Pamela brought us to Unity. She met Rev. Roger and told me I would like the church. Dick and I started attending and joined a year later. We went to Paris with Roger, his wife, Carol, and their daughter.”
What are your favorite activities at Unity?
Dee volunteered for many teams over the years. She helped in the office. She took care of the Memory Garden as part of the Garden Team and worked with the women’s retreats. Dee ushered for ten years and was a member of the Wellness Team, now called the Care Team. Dee was also a member of the Hospitality team for 25 years and chaired it part of that time. In addition, she spent time on the Flower team and was Inner Beauty team chairperson. They put up the Christmas trees for several years, and a team of them painted the sanctuary with the Sprite boys.
“My favorite things to do were sewing towels for downstairs and making the seven Chaplain ties.” She also embroidered the Fragrance Free covers for the chairs.
Is there anything you’d like to see Unity do that would make your experience even better?
“Of all the churches I’ve belonged to, Unity is the finest church. Especially since they are willing to come and support me during these difficult times. It’s not easy to have lost your sight. The Synchronicity Sisters Book Club, flower team, and hospitality team have come and supported me as well as Rev. Debra and others. I love Unity and the people, and I thank them for all their support.”
“I want you to know that I have five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. They all support me and help set up electronic equipment that makes my life easier. I’m so proud of them. As a result of their work, I’m able to get the Unity service. My great-grandson hooked up my computer with his. I have Alexis in my home that they also set up for me.”
“I am truly blessed. I have wonderful friends and the best family in the world. I have my God.”