Dan was born in Mantiwoc on December 11, 1937. He was much loved and is deeply missed by all his friends and family. His grandchildren created this site, but we hope many others will contribute their memories of a man who was a memorable character. If you knew him, he probably fixed something for you, drove you somewhere, or lent or gave you money. If you'd like to offer a tribute, do something for someone else, and come back to the site and send a thought or story. Also, the family would take comfort in knowing what you did in his name.
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Crooks, Daniel R. Died Friday, May 4, 2007 at the age of 69 surrounded by loved ones. Dan is survived by his daughters Julie Gibeault (Glenn) and Amy Jenkins (Paul); sisters Connie Falk, Janice Conway, "Patsy" Krause; grandchildren Sally Kranski (John), Justin Gibeault (Nicole), Colleen Forque (Frank) and Dylan Jenkins.
Dan grew up in Manitowoc and moved to Madison where he graduated from high school. He served in the 32nd Red Arrow Division of the U.S. Army in the early '60s. He married Beth and raised a family in Milwaukee. He's known to many from his years as a Postal Clerk in the Milwaukee main office, offsite Postal centers, and the Wauwatosa station. He retired in the late '90s after over 35 years of service. Always on the go, he continued to work part time for Bonded Messanger.
If you knew Dan, he likely fixed something for you, drove you somewhere, or lent or gave you money. He was always generous with his time, skills, and assets. His family asks that memorials be given in this spirit: Do something helpful for someone else. The family would be comforted by knowing what you have done in his name. You may post these at: dan.muchloved.com
Per Dan's request, private services will be held.
Published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on 5/9/2007
A story that I remember Grandpa telling me was one where he was looking for work and decided to go to American Motors Company. He did not have a job interview, the company wasn't even advertizing that it was accepting applications for any positions. Dan just went down there and told the secretary that he was there to apply for a job. After a half hour of waiting, one of the managers came out to inform Dan that the company was not currently looking for help or taking applications. Dan listened. He had some general knowlege about American Motor Company, began to ask some questions about the operations, the company in general, and the new years line of automobiles in production. The manager answered all of Dan's questions. Dan was able to bring the line of questions to the amount of employees needed to keep a company like this going. That with a company this large and with so many employees that there must be quite a turn around with folks retiring, transferring, and fired. The manager agreed and stated that the turn over was quick. Dan stated that he would just continue to wait for the next person to leave and that he would be there to fufill that person's job. The manager hired Dan that day.
This story Dan shared with me as he was driving me from Milwaukee to Lancaster Pennsylvania so I could persue my education and career as a paramedic.
Dan was born on December 11, 1937 in Mantiwoc, Wisconsin. He was the youngest. His three sisters, Connie, Janice, and "Patsy," remember him as mischievious and resourceful. He graduated from elementary school at St Boniface.
He attended Washington Jr High, and Lincon High in Manitowoc. He gradutated from Madison East in Madison WI.
He joined the Army Reserve in 1958 and soon after was living in Milwaukee where he met Beth and began to raise a family.
Dan always had two or three jobs and loved to work on cars.He and his young family were living on the east side of Milwaukee. He worked second shift at the beginning of his Post Office career(1960), and cared for his two daughters, Julie and Amy, before work.
Dan's reserve unit was activated in 1961, and the family drove to Olympia, Washingington in a 1954 Edsel.
In 1963 he and Beth purchased their Milwaukee home, a home Dan was constantaly remodeling and Beth was perpetualy redecorating. The young couple built a garage with lumber, neighboors, and many cases of beer; it's still standing. They also put in a pool, deck, and patio and enjoyed being outdoors all summer long. It was a small home, but always stylish and the site of good times with friends.
The family camped around the state, and no one ever enjoyed a better picnic lunch on a hike. Joshua the collie was known at many campgrounds for his good behavior and intelligence.
Beginning in late summer the family's attention always turned to the Green Bay Packers. Dan scored season tickets in the early 60's, and when the Packers played away games, the Crooks home buldged with Pabst Blue Ribbon, Packer fans, and a bountiful half-time buffet.
Dan enjoyed working on his 55 and 56 T-birds, talking on his CB radio, and helping everyone repair cars and anything mechanical. He was a real WW II buff, knew all the planes, tanks, and major battles. Unless you were really interested, you learned not to ask him about it. He did, however,in later years, pass this interest on to his grandson, Justin.
As his girls grew,he taught them to be independent (ask their husbands), and to think through actions before making a decision. Then, he said, "move on with no regrets and remember you did the best you could."
When Julie married Glenn, the following day their car wouldn't start at thier honeymoon hotel. They called Dan. His response:" Jeeeze, I thought I was gaining a son-in-law, not another damn car to work on!" He went right over.
When Amy decided on a nursing career after she had her first child, Dan picked her up every morning, dropped little Sally off at the sitter, drove Amy to school and then went to work at the Main Milwaukee Post office. In the evening he reversed the process. He never complained about the hours added to his work day.
Dan and Beth went their separate ways in 1984. Dan lived in Milwaukee and transferred to the Wauwatosa Post Office. He was known as an unique clerk; he worked the windows with expediency and personal service. He was fun. On many days if you entered the lobby you'd find his line the longest, not because he was slow, but because people wanted to wait for him.
He retired in the late 90's. He loved driving and, in addition to his rereational car trips, eventually went to work again driving part-time for Bonded Messenger. He liked the long trips. Often by 11 am he'd already been to Madison and Chicago, and was asking for another delivery assignment.
Dan had just moved to Greenfield to a beautiful Condo and was still on the payroll at Bonded when he died from a prolonged illness. We miss him.
These messages appeared on the Milwaukee Journal Temporary Website
Dan was a great man and a great friend. He will be missed greatly. I was his Dispatcher at Bonded and I couldn't have been more blessed to have known such a great person. I will miss Dan very much because he always made me smile no matter how down I was. Dan was a very giving and kind man and there are so many good things I could say about him. To his family I want to send my sympathies and to know that heaven will be a much happy place with him there.
Christopher Henkel (Milwaukee, WI)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 11, 2007
Amy,
Your Dad was so blessed to have you in his life, especially his last days. You were his Angel.
Patti Jo Fox (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 9, 2007
Beth
Sorry to hear about your loss.
Erv
Erv Umhoefer (Menomonee Falls, WI)
Dan was a man who truly adored his family and loved his friends, and he would do anything to help someone in need. He was one of those special few of whom it’s said: “He’d give you the shirt off his back.”
I talked to my sisters and these are some of our memories:
-We all loved having a baby brother. Connie said she was his baby-sitter and would take him for long walks in a wicker buggy. Once she was eating a marshmallow and chocolate cookie, while she was alone with him. She broke off a piece of chocolate and gave it to Danny. He smacked his lips and loved it. Later our mom came in and saw that Danny had spit up. She became hysterical she thought that it was blood.
-While living in Madison, Connie would make nice meals for him and one day she served frozen peas. He said they were so good, he’d never eat canned peas again.
-Connie and Bill changed his life by helping him finish his education.
-Once while I was baby-sitting him, Mama said he was to get a bottle at a certain time. I kept on watching the clock so I wouldn’t miss his feeding time. When the time came to feed him, I went to fix his bottle but I couldn’t get the nipple on. I panicked and grabbed the sleeping baby in one arm and the bottle in the other, and ran to the neighbor for help.
-We sisters took turns doing dishes, which we hated. We’d stand in the kitchen and say, “I wish a little elf would come along and do these dishes,” then go and sit on the porch. Several minutes later we’d come inside and see all the dishes done. And there was Danny grinning from ear to ear. He caught on to our trick after several incidents.
-He always called me Patsy and he never let me forget the time I made popcorn and wouldn’t share it with him.
-My family always went to Dan’s home in Milwaukee for Christmas. One year they had a litter of Siamese kittens. Dan said my children could have a female because they only had one male. My kids picked out the one they wanted and put a ribbon around her neck. You guessed it, the next day the ribbon was gone so they just picked out another kitten and named her Sabrina. A year later, when we took her to the Vet to have her spayed, the Veterinarian said he’d have a hard time doing that because Sabrina was actually a male.
-Janice was usually stuck with Dan wherever she went. Once she was going ice-skating, and Dan didn’t have anything warm to wear. Jan pulled out a box of girl clothes our cousin Doris had sent over. She found a pair of jodphurs and put them on a reluctant Danny as snow-pants. Then took him along and put him in the warming house at the rink to stay warm. They got home and she said to him, “Take off the glad rags.” He was so upset he shouted, “Glad Rags-Glad Rags!!!”
-On Halloween one year Janice dressed Dan up like a girl in a skirt, a blouse, and a red frumpy wig. She told our landlord that she was a cousin from Sheboygan. Later Dan took off the wig and our landlord said, “I thought she had funny looking hair!”
We all loved Dan all his life from the time he looked like Elvis, until the time he looked like Benjamin Franklin. We’ll all miss him.
His Middle Sister,
Patsy (Pat Krause)
I've known Dan for twenty eight years. His idea of helping me was a beer in one hand, a lit cigarette in the other and wise advice coming out of his mouth. He always wanted to show me how to do things but I always had to do them myself. That's how he taught me. The house that I had bought, needed to have natural gas put to it. This required venting the attic, putting in a vapor barrier and blowing an insulation. This was quite an extensive job seeing that this was a 1928 built Stucco house. After these jobs were completed, the natural gas inspector came out and informed me that I needed to have vents in the soffets. (Dan would appreciate me using the appropriate term) Due to the configuration of the siding, putting in the soffets would not access the attic like the inspector wanted. Bringing my dilemma to Dan, Dan wondered aloud what a hole would look like in the soffets. Deciding it would be dark, he had me go up with the vent cover and a piece of black construction paper. Satisfied that indeed that was what a hole would look like, Dan had me place the black paper behind the vent cover and then screw the cover into the soffet. Needless to say, we passed the inspection.
As his son-in-law, I will always cherish his advice and friendship.
Glenn Gibeault
I'm Dan's Grandson, Dylan. Whenever I needed or wanted to go somewhere Grandpa would always offer. In Elementary school he would often be at my house when I would return from school. All I would have to do is slip out a little "I'm hungry" inbetween the sentences my Mom and Grandpa said to each other. As soon as he herd this he was heading out the door shouting, "So whatcha hungry for Dylan?" The winter before Grandpa was hospitalized I went to Washington D.C. with the People to People Organization, and met two people that live about an hour west of Madison. During the next summer we wanted to see each other again. We decided the beginning of August would be best for all of us. We soon realized this plan was not going to happen because our parents were not able to drive. As soon as Grandpa heard of our predicament, he offered to drive. Grandpa saved the day. We didn't know however that July 4 he would be hospitalized. My mom told me that one of the first things he said when the drugs started wearing off and he came around was, "Tell Dylan I'll still drive him and his friends." He of coarse wasn't able to, but he offered.
Dan was born on December 11, 1937 in Mantiwoc, Wisconsin. He was the youngest. His three sisters, Connie, Janice, and "Patsy," remember him as mischievious and resourceful. He graduated from elementary school at St Boniface.
He attended Washington Jr High, and Lincon High in Manitowoc. He gradutated from Madison East in Madison WI.
He joined the Army Reserve in 1958 and soon after was living in Milwaukee where he met Beth and began to raise a family.
Dan always had two or three jobs and loved to work on cars.He and his young family were living on the east side of Milwaukee. He worked second shift at the beginning of his Post Office career(1960), and cared for his two daughters, Julie and Amy, before work.
Dan's reserve unit was activated in 1961, and the family drove to Olympia, Washingington in a 1954 Edsel.
In 1963 he and Beth purchased their Milwaukee home, a home Dan was constantaly remodeling and Beth was perpetualy redecorating. The young couple built a garage with lumber, neighboors, and many cases of beer; it's still standing. They also put in a pool, deck, and patio and enjoyed being outdoors all summer long. It was a small home, but always stylish and the site of good times with friends.
The family camped around the state, and no one ever enjoyed a better picnic lunch on a hike. Joshua the collie was known at many campgrounds for his good behavior and intelligence.
Beginning in late summer the family's attention always turned to the Green Bay Packers. Dan scored season tickets in the early 60's, and when the Packers played away games, the Crooks home buldged with Pabst Blue Ribbon, Packer fans, and a bountiful half-time buffet.
Dan enjoyed working on his 55 and 56 T-birds, talking on his CB radio, and helping everyone repair cars and anything mechanical. He was a real WW II buff, knew all the planes, tanks, and major battles. Unless you were really interested, you learned not to ask him about it. He did, however,in later years, pass this interest on to his grandson, Justin.
As his girls grew,he taught them to be independent (ask their husbands), and to think through actions before making a decision. Then, he said, "move on with no regrets and remember you did the best you could."
When Julie married Glenn, the following day their car wouldn't start at thier honeymoon hotel. They called Dan. His response:" Jeeeze, I thought I was gaining a son-in-law, not another damn car to work on!" He went right over.
When Amy decided on a nursing career after she had her first child, Dan picked her up every morning, dropped little Sally off at the sitter, drove Amy to school and then went to work at the Main Milwaukee Post office. In the evening he reversed the process. He never complained about the hours added to his work day.
Dan and Beth went their separate ways in 1984. Dan lived in Milwaukee and transferred to the Wauwatosa Post Office. He was known as an unique clerk; he worked the windows with expediency and personal service. He was fun. On many days if you entered the lobby you'd find his line the longest, not because he was slow, but because people wanted to wait for him.
He retired in the late 90's. He loved driving and, in addition to his rereational car trips, eventually went to work again driving part-time for Bonded Messenger. He liked the long trips. Often by 11 am he'd already been to Madison and Chicago, and was asking for another delivery assignment.
Dan had just moved to Greenfield to a beautiful Condo and was still on the payroll at Bonded when he died from a prolonged illness. We miss him.
Dan was a man who truly adored his family and loved his friends, and he would do anything to help someone in need. He was one of those special few of whom it’s said: “He’d give you the shirt off his back.”
I talked to my sisters and these are some of our memories:
-We all loved having a baby brother. Connie said she was his baby-sitter and would take him for long walks in a wicker buggy. Once she was eating a marshmallow and chocolate cookie, while she was alone with him. She broke off a piece of chocolate and gave it to Danny. He smacked his lips and loved it. Later our mom came in and saw that Danny had spit up. She became hysterical she thought that it was blood.
-While living in Madison, Connie would make nice meals for him and one day she served frozen peas. He said they were so good, he’d never eat canned peas again.
-Connie and Bill changed his life by helping him finish his education.
-Once while I was baby-sitting him, Mama said he was to get a bottle at a certain time. I kept on watching the clock so I wouldn’t miss his feeding time. When the time came to feed him, I went to fix his bottle but I couldn’t get the nipple on. I panicked and grabbed the sleeping baby in one arm and the bottle in the other, and ran to the neighbor for help.
-We sisters took turns doing dishes, which we hated. We’d stand in the kitchen and say, “I wish a little elf would come along and do these dishes,” then go and sit on the porch. Several minutes later we’d come inside and see all the dishes done. And there was Danny grinning from ear to ear. He caught on to our trick after several incidents.
-He always called me Patsy and he never let me forget the time I made popcorn and wouldn’t share it with him.
-My family always went to Dan’s home in Milwaukee for Christmas. One year they had a litter of Siamese kittens. Dan said my children could have a female because they only had one male. My kids picked out the one they wanted and put a ribbon around her neck. You guessed it, the next day the ribbon was gone so they just picked out another kitten and named her Sabrina. A year later, when we took her to the Vet to have her spayed, the Veterinarian said he’d have a hard time doing that because Sabrina was actually a male.
-Janice was usually stuck with Dan wherever she went. Once she was going ice-skating, and Dan didn’t have anything warm to wear. Jan pulled out a box of girl clothes our cousin Doris had sent over. She found a pair of jodphurs and put them on a reluctant Danny as snow-pants. Then took him along and put him in the warming house at the rink to stay warm. They got home and she said to him, “Take off the glad rags.” He was so upset he shouted, “Glad Rags-Glad Rags!!!”
-On Halloween one year Janice dressed Dan up like a girl in a skirt, a blouse, and a red frumpy wig. She told our landlord that she was a cousin from Sheboygan. Later Dan took off the wig and our landlord said, “I thought she had funny looking hair!”
We all loved Dan all his life from the time he looked like Elvis, until the time he looked like Benjamin Franklin. We’ll all miss him.
His Middle Sister,
Patsy (Pat Krause)
Thanks to my Aunts and cousins who gave a monetary gift in Dan's name. This gift was donated to the Amerian Diabetes Association in the form of sponsoring Paul (Dan's son-in-law) and Dylan (grandson) on a 100K charity bike ride.
Thanks to Paul's business partner for the donation to the Cancer Foundation in Dan's name.
I'm Dan's Grandson, Dylan. Whenever I needed or wanted to go somewhere Grandpa would always offer. In Elementary school he would often be at my house when I would return from school. All I would have to do is slip out a little "I'm hungry" inbetween the sentences my Mom and Grandpa said to each other. As soon as he herd this he was heading out the door shouting, "So whatcha hungry for Dylan?" The winter before Grandpa was hospitalized I went to Washington D.C. with the People to People Organization, and met two people that live about an hour west of Madison. During the next summer we wanted to see each other again. We decided the beginning of August would be best for all of us. We soon realized this plan was not going to happen because our parents were not able to drive. As soon as Grandpa heard of our predicament, he offered to drive. Grandpa saved the day. We didn't know however that July 4 he would be hospitalized. My mom told me that one of the first things he said when the drugs started wearing off and he came around was, "Tell Dylan I'll still drive him and his friends." He of coarse wasn't able to, but he offered.
William Ernest Henley. 1849–1903
7. Invictus
OUT of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance 5
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade, 10
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate: 15
I am the captain of my soul.
A song to you Dad
Dan passed away in the home of one of his daughters on May 4th, 2007. He will be remembered as a man who was generous with his time, talents, and money. When he gave, there were no strings attached. We love him.
He had clear values, which appeared in his advice:
Go to work on time.
If you say you are going to do something, do it.
Quit your bellyaching.
Pay your bills on time.
Save for retirement.
Don't buy crap you don't need.
Listen to your children, or at least look like you are listening.
If something is worth doing, it's worth doing well.