Lorena Martha Groener, age 92, of Reedsburg, WI, passed away May 22, 2024 at Casa De Oakes in Reedsburg. She was born May 3, 1932 in Loganville, WI to Arnold and Martha (Prochnow) Hasz. She was baptized, confirmed, and also united in marriage to Merle Groener on August 4, 1951 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Loganville. 

She was a 1950 graduate of Webb High School and worked at Reedsburg Equity Warehouse and the Reedsburg Bank. She was a Volunteer Certified Braille Transcriber for 13 years for the LCMS and Library of Congress. She donated blood 72 times. She was active at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in LWML and Ladies Aid and served on the Financial Management Council, Outreach, Stewardship, and Stephen’s Ministry. She participated in Golden Agers, was secretary for the Reedsburg Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and served as president, vice-president, and Trustee of the Old Settlers Association. She loved music and played instruments by ear. She was the pianist for the Kitchen Klangers Band and played organ at the Snyder nursing home and Health Care Center. 

She also loved gardening, card clubs, sewing, quilting, upholstery, cake decorating, and craft making. She participated in many talent shows as Edith Ann (Laugh-in character). When her maternal grandfather immigrated to the states in the late 1800’s his twin brother remained in Germany. Communication with that family was lost as they lived in East Berlin. During a tour of the Scandinavian countries and Germany in 1987 Lorena met a couple in Lubeck who she kept in touch with and in 1993 they were able to locate her relatives for her. Many wonderful trips were made to Germany and many of the German family visited Reedsburg.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 67 years Merle; son Ronald; brothers Orrlen, Vernon, and Norman Hasz. Survivors include her daughter Sandy (Tim) Sweeney; grandchildren Laurie (Darren Snyder), Angie Sweeney (Bryan Hohensee), Jennifer (Ali) Pervaiz, Adam (Amy) Groener, Christian Groener; great grandchildren Alivia and Jeffrey Stefanich, Aaron and Adler Groener, Aiden, Leila, Quinn, and Zara Pervaiz; daughter in law Priscilla Groener; nephew Jim (Sue) Hasz; and nieces Sharon (Rick) Gale and LuAnn (Tim) Peterson.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, May 28, 2024  at 11 AM at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church with Pastor Crolius officiating. Visitation will be held from 10 until the time of service at Church on Tuesday. Interment will follow at St. Peter’s Lutheran Cemetery. Memorials may be made out to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Reedsburg. Thank you to Casa De Oakes for the kindness shown to her the past 8 years and to Agrace for their comfort and care. Lorena wrote the following poem in High School.
 

The story I will tell you

Too well I do not know

For I was only seven

That’s all ten years ago.

 

It was one summer morning

We left the house with glee;

The truck that came upon the yard

We all went out to see.

 

My brother who was not quite two

Had come along halfway,

He stopped to play in a pile of sand

His last in all his day

 

So sweet was he, my brother

We loved him one and all,

But God still loved him greater

For he took him at His call.

 

We knew not what to say when we 

Saw him lying on the ground;

Silent, still, and motionless

So peaceful and renowned.

 

You see the truck had struck him

Just as it passed by

The driver did not see him

He could not tell us why.

 

We told it to our mother

Believe it, she could not

All of us, the neighbors too

Turned hearts and ears to God

 

Some day not so far away

We will meet again

It will be the happiest day

God grant this wish. Amen.