August 7, 2009
People of Faith
By Wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established; through knowledge it is filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
— Proverbs 24:3
People of Faith is a new feature in a familiar frame. Steve Halbig, writing for the Message, will ask a series of questions of people in the diocese — some who have reached the “age of wisdom” and some who are younger. All will share stories of their faith.
Name: Mary Winnecke
Parish: Holy Redeemer
Number of children, grandchildren: Children: Natalie, died July 21, 1994, David Heuck, Adam Heuck and Kathy Wilson. Grandchildren: Kim Dillman, Matt Heuck, Brandon Heuck, Josh Heuck and Nicholas Heuck. Great-grandchildren: Natalie Dillman, Nathanial Dillman and Madalyn Heuck.
Have you lived in Southern Indiana all your life? I was born in Evansville to Marie and Orval Sanford. I grew up on the Westside at Evansville’s Original Doll Hospital. My grandparents, Mary and George Stricker, also lived with us. My grandfather repaired dolls (which came from all over) in the shop behind our house. I have an older brother, Steve Sanford, and a younger sister, Barbara Richardt. They have always been a positive influence in my life. When Natalie died, they carried us in so many ways. And today, they are still there for us.
What are some of your earliest childhood memories? Growing up, life was fun and secure. Our neighborhood was close. We would all walk to school (St. Boniface) together. Games were played on our lawns. We had lighthouse parades around the block. On Sundays, neighborhood kids would join us for pancakes my dad made. For a dime, we would all walk to the Franklin Theater for a matinee. As we grew older, we would walk to the Franklin Drug. And then as teenagers, we all met at the ParkWay, a drive-in restaurant. Life was good.
What are your memories of World War II? I don’t really remember much about WWII. I was born in May 1944. I grew up at a time when supplies were low in many areas. However, I didn’t realize this because we always had food on our table. I remember on occasion someone coming to our door for food. We lived close to railroad tracks. My grandmother always had something for them.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I always knew I wanted to be a mother. This was important to me. My mother and grandmother were always there for us and when we came home from school, we never had to come home to an empty house.
Describe how your faith helped you through a difficult time in your life: Our life has not been an easy one. However, we have never had to walk alone. My husband, Bob, is one of the most wonderful gifts I have received. We lean on one another. I know that without Bob, my life would never have been the same. I am blessed.
Today, while our priests are struggling in so many ways, to see them walk with the Lord is awesome. At Holy Redeemer we are working to have a Perpetual Eucharist Adoration Chapel available to everyone. This would not be possible if Father Paul Ferguson and Father Chris Forler weren’t open to the Holy Spirit. Father Augustus Davis, from St. Meinrad, has taught me about His Divine Will. The priests should be our role models. We need to keep them all in our prayers so that they stay open to the Word. They need us just as we need them.
On April 16, 1983, Bob lost his oldest son, Robbie, in an accident while he was out playing. This was tragedy that we never expected to have to live through. But the Lord took us through this time. Bob also joined the Catholic Church around this time.
Then, on July 21, 1994, my daughter, Natalie, her husband, Tony, and his sister, Debbie, were all murdered by Debbie’s husband, Eric Wrinkles. At this time, my grandchildren, Kim and Matt, became my children. To say the pain of losing my daughter was unbearable is just a tip of the iceberg. Natalie was my best friend. We shared everything. There wasn’t a day go by that we did not touch base, and always departed with, “I love you.” She was a beautiful girl, both on the outside as well as the inside. Natalie was always for the underdog. But I must admit that as she grew up, there were days I put her in the corner. Natalie loved life.
In the beginning I was in shock. As time marched on (with my family and friends carrying us) we became a stronger family. During this time, I can still see how the Lord was involved in our lives. I physically craved my daughter, I missed her so much. Yet, I could also feel the peace that only Our Lord can give us. It is a calmness that is in our being. I can’t remember facts, phone numbers, names, etc., but that is all okay. God keeps putting beautiful people in my life to help with my needs. The Blessed Mother held my daughter when she died. She was not alone. We have nothing to fear but fear itself. If I did not have my Lord, then I would fear. My Lord is always there, night and day. While I will never get over losing Natalie, and the pain will always be there, I rejoice because Natalie is in heaven. And someday, I plan on being there with her. Because of His love, we have been able to forgive Eric. And with this forgiveness, we are against the death penalty. He should be punished in prison for the remainder of his life, without parole. But we have no right to give him the death penalty.
Do you have any hobbies? How do you stay active? In my spare time, I love to pray my rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet. If I have any needs, a rosary to the Blessed Mother solves that problem. I sleep with my rosary in my hand. During the night as someone comes to mind, I know that they are in need of prayers. Going to Mass is the best way to start a day. And taking my needs to Jesus in adoration can’t be beat. I also have high hopes of joining the gym again and exercising. Working in my garden and watching things grow, smelling the flowers or picking the vegetables is a great pastime.
What is your first memory of church? My family was and still is a major influence in my life. My mother would get up and go to church every morning. Steve, my brother, served 6 a.m. Mass many days. He still helps me sort things out. During Lent, I remember turning off our radio (right when it was so interesting) to walk to church for services during Holy Week. Midnight Mass was always beautiful. And then we would all walk home, so many times with the snow falling on our shoulders. My sister, Barb, was a perfectionist. She always inspired me to do my best. I still value her opinions.
What do you like most about being Catholic? I am thankful that I am a Catholic. If I wasn’t Catholic, I would not know the Blessed Mother. I would not have the Mass. My life would be missing so much.
If you could make one change in the Catholic Church, among things that can be changed, what would it be? If I could change anything in our churches, I would add adoration to every church. I wish we had more priests so that we could offer more Masses. We need more processions during the year for many occasions in our church services, like crowning the Blessed Mother or for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On Good Friday, we would pray the Stations around the block at St. Agnes. The Bible should be studied, read and memorized in our schools. We all need to learn the Bible forward and backward. Our faith needs to be visible to everyone, everywhere.
In Evansville, we can demonstrate our faith. However, in many places in our United States of America, we cannot display the Ten Commandments, the Child Jesus on His birthday because someone has complained. We need to change this. We need to be praying for America to keep our freedom so that our children can proudly be Americans and Catholics forever. We need to stop aborting our babies. Abortion is wrong. The Death Penalty should not be. These are just different names for murder. It is time to make changes in our lives and laws. It is time to be on our knees with our rosaries in hand.
Do you have a favorite saint? The Blessed Mother is always there for me. I was named after her and my grandmothers. On Her feast days, I go with other Catholics to Holy Love near Cleveland, Ohio. She is always there waiting. Miracles abound there. My Rosary is very important to me. It keeps me grounded with Her.
Any regrets in life? When I look back on life, I know I would never want to relive it again. I couldn’t stand the pain. However, I do wish my faith would have been stronger when I was younger. I could have shared it in more ways with my children. Parents are the first teachers of their children. If I only knew then what I know now. But I also know, we each have our own walk to walk.
What is your best wisdom on life? The older I get, the more my priorities have changed. Natalie’s death showed me how important a person is, and how unimportant things are. I have learned how important God is. All we have to do is ask for His help. He is there waiting.