On Sunday, November 24, Judy peacefully departed this life and was reunited in heaven with Roy, her beloved husband of 53 years.
Judy Lindert (nee Dougherty) was born in Milwaukee, WI, the second of six children to her late parents Gerald and Sarah (nee Roseland) Dougherty. She spent her early childhood in Milwaukee attending Lane Elementary, moving with the family at age 10 to Sullivan, where she attended Sullivan Grammar School and Jefferson High School, working on the yearbook and playing accordion in the band. After graduation, she took a secretarial job at Northwestern Mutual in Milwaukee, moving out on her own. While visiting her family in 1959, she met Roy Lindert, who was doing carpentry work next door. They fell in love and were married on May 14, 1960, establishing their new home in Oconomowoc and having four children over the next five years. Their life together filled quickly with baseball games, bowling leagues, summer vacations at the Spooner cottage, pigeon shows and State Fairs, Carpenter’s Union parades, raising a family, and caring for each other.
A loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Judy was generous to a fault. She was eager to share anything she owned while ensuring no one left her home empty-handed. Judy paired an infectious smile with a mischievous gleam in her eye, ever willing to stir up a bit of trouble, especially when conspiring on a new adventure. She delighted in loading the station wagon with kids and driving to the Kilty with their arms and legs hanging from every window, laughing like crazy and calling for the surprise “stop sign fire drill!”
She was genuinely thoughtful and used silly humor to remind us not to cry over spilled milk or take ourselves too seriously. She gleefully danced in rain puddles after an unwelcome rain spoiled a family barbecue. She danced on spilled cornflakes when a visiting 6th-grader accidentally knocked them to the floor. Everyone remembers how important – and loved – she made them feel.
For Judy, her family was more than just blood relatives – her home was always available for one more family member, neighbor, traveler, friend, or anyone needing a meal, an ear to bend, or a hug. Her generosity and spirit will be missed by so many.
Judy was preceded in death by her parents, Gerald and Sarah Dougherty; her brother, Richard Dougherty, and his wife, Joan (Abel) Dougherty; her sister, Barbara Dougherty; and her lifelong love and husband, Roy Arthur Lindert. Judy is survived by her children Michelle (Scott) Shane, Michael (Jackie) Lindert, Kristene Lindert, and Heidi (Joe) Thelander; her grandchildren Nicole Shane, Joshua Shane, Sarah (Kyle) Roll, Abigail (Seth) Miller, Katherine Lindert, Ariel Thelander, and Autumn Thelander; her great-grandchildren Kaleb and Trent Odachowski; and her siblings, Tom (Bonnie) Dougherty, Kevin (Linda) Dougherty, and Jo Grant, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Our family would like to express our deep gratitude to all those who loved and cared for Judy at Lake Country Landing Assisted Living in Oconomowoc, Frontida Assisted Living of Elkhorn, and Holton Manor in Elkhorn. We appreciate and will never forget your kindness, compassion, and genuine affection while caring for our beloved matriarch.
Please join us in celebrating Judy’s life on Saturday, December 7, 2024, at Schmidt & Bartelt Funeral Home, 121 Cross St, Oconomowoc, WI 53066. Visitation will be from 10:00 am to noon; a prayer service will be from noon to 12:30 pm, followed by sharing fond stories. If you prefer donating in her honor, please consider the Oconomowoc High School Scholarship Fund at https://www.oconomowocscholarshipfund.org/donate
If you are unable to attend the service will be livestreamed starting at noon, please click the link below.
https://tinyurl.com/JudyLindert
