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Edwina Kraemer

Community mourns couple’s passing

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The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club was already grieving the death of its former president, Edwina Kraemer, when the club received word that Edwina’s husband, David, had died a day later.

Those who knew Edwina describe her as capable, dynamic, organized and giving. They said she was a woman who held leadership roles in the woman’s club, was passionate about raising money for Canine Companions for Independence; was involved in her church, First United Methodist Church of Lutz; and, was devoted to her family.

David and Edwina Kraemer share a smile. (Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

David had been battling health problems for some time, and Edwina had been hospitalized in recent months, several sources said.

Friends were shocked that the couple died just one day apart.

The couple is survived by their son and his family, Keith, Pam and Gwen Vickery, of Brandon.

Even though Edwina was known for not calling attention to herself, she was widely known in the community because of her leadership and good works, several sources said.

She was president of the woman’s club during the years 2010 to 2012. And, she was named Lutz Guv’na in 2006, an honorary title secured by raising money to help community causes.

“Edwina was one of the most generous people you’d ever run into,” said Nancy Fisher, who has known Edwina since 2005.

She was a good friend, too.

“Anyone that was sick, down, whatever — she had a cake there. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen her take cakes to people,” Fisher said.

“She was a wonderful baker, fantastic cook. Her home was always open to have events for the woman’s club,” Fisher added.

Edwina and Fisher worked closely together to raise money for Canine Companions for Independence, a service dog organization.

“She headed DogFest for three years,” Fisher said, noting Edwina was instrumental in raising more than $130,000 for service dogs. “It would not have gone (on) without her. She put her whole heart into it.”

When the woman’s club holds a BowWow Bingo Fundraiser on Aug. 30, it also will honor Edwina, Fisher said.

“I’ve asked everyone to wear pearls. She always had pearls — a bracelet, earrings, a necklace, something,” Fisher said. “We want to remember her.”

Pat Serio, another woman’s club member, met Edwina through the club.

“I remember Edwina showing obvious signs of leadership from Day 1, and she lost no time in immediately accepting duties, club offices,” Serio said, via email.

“Family, her strong faith and service to her community meant everything to her.  We, in the club, have missed her terribly during these past 5 months of her illness and will continue to feel the void for a long while,” Serio said.

“Edwina’s beloved David survived her by only one day, and we rejoice in that they are now reunited for eternity. RIP dear friends, Edwina and David,” Serio said.

Mike Mullins, a friend of David’s since 1971, recalled that the couple met when they were supervisors in the Youth Conservation Corps program.

Both of them were science teachers, said Mullins, who met David during a teacher conference on Sanibel Island. David taught at Eisenhower Junior High School and Jefferson High School, Mullins said.

“He was the kind of guy that would go out and bring in stuff for the kids to see. He was a very interactive teacher.”

David also loved to cook out, was involved in karate, was a firearms expert and instructor, and enjoyed spending time on his lake, Mullin said.

Rick Cabot, the pastor at First United Methodist Church of Lutz, said Edwina was involved in many ways at the church.

She helped with the massive project to relocate the church from its former site on Lutz Lake Fern Road near U.S. 41, to its current location, on Lutz Lake Fern near North Dale Mabry Highway.

It was a huge undertaking, involving the acquisition of land, design of the building and scores of other details, Cabot said. Edwina also helped raise money to pay for the project, which Cabot estimated at between $5.5 million and $6 million.

Additionally, Edwina was dedicated to preparing communion for the congregation.

She was typically there by herself early on Sunday mornings, Cabot said.

“She would have the biggest smile on her face,” he said, and as she filled each communion cup “it was like she was concerned for that person that would be partaking it. She just did it with so much love.

“Edwina’s heart for people and heart for God were simply incredible,” Cabot added.

“I just can’t say enough kind things about her.

“The biggest thing is how she made people feel when she was around them: Loved and cared about, that they were important,” the pastor said.

In a previous interview with The Laker/Lutz News, Edwina said she wanted to join the woman’s club because it was genuinely determined to serve the community.

She also offered her impression of the Lutz/Land O’ Lakes community.

“Lutz and Land O’ Lakes have this old town flavor,” she said. “I grew up in a little town in Brevard County (Cocoa), so it takes me back to my youth. There are a lot of great traditions in this area.”

When the woman’s club was celebrating its 50th anniversary, Edwina, then president, described the group as purposeful, empowered women. She said she was attracted to the club because of its focus on service.

“I was raised with the idea that you are not a burden to your society and that you give back,” she said.

Apparently, those lessons stuck.

A dual Celebration of Life service is planned for the couple on Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. at First United Methodist Church of Lutz, 960 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road.

Published August 29, 2018

Giving thanks, for life’s big and little blessings

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Whether it’s for the expected arrival of a first grandchild, the ability to be a stay-at-home mom, landing a new job, or savoring the sheer blessing of being alive to celebrate the holiday — people across The Laker/Lutz News coverage area have many reasons to celebrate this Thanksgiving.

Those of us working at the newspaper, join them, in celebrating the holiday of gratitude and express our appreciation to you, our readers.

(Photos by B.C. Manion)

“I am so blessed with family and a husband that survived a stroke and club members (GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club) and church (First United Methodist Church of Lutz), said Edwina Kraemer, of Lutz.

For Thanksgiving, she said, “We are having an organic turkey. And, my son and daughter-in-law and my beautiful granddaughter and some friends of ours are all coming over, and we’re going to try to eat healthy.”

 

 

 

 

Isabel Wirth, who has been volunteering at Daystar Hope Center Thrift Shop in Dade City for 19 years, said “I’m thankful that we can do as much for the people here, and I’m thankful for good health.”

The Dade City woman plans to travel to Mount Dora to her niece’s house for Thanksgiving.

 

 

 

 

 

“I’m thankful for the nice weather. I’m so glad it’s finally cooled down,” said Lois Cohen, of Land O’ Lakes.

But, that’s not all she’s grateful for.

I’m thankful for all of the friends that I have in the Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club,” she added.

For the holiday, Cohen said, “We’re having my family over for Thanksgiving. My husband is doing a whole menu,” she said, including German potato casserole and cranberry trifle.

 

Matt Badillo, of Wesley Chapel, is thankful for a new employment opportunity. “I just got offered a job at the VA. It was a bit of a long process, but it’s finally rolling through. It’s really good. I’ll be a nursing assistant there.”

But, he’s also grateful to be celebrating the holiday with his family.

“I just recently came back from living in Australia for three years. I came back in April,” he said, noting he’s looking forward to turkey and cranberry sauce, and for another favorite, too.

“My grandma makes this corn casserole that I’ve been waiting for, for awhile.”

 

Pat Wright, the circulation supervisor at Hugh Embry Branch Library in Dade City, said: “I’m thankful for the whole staff that I work with here at Hugh Embry.”

The Webster woman said she’s also grateful for family and friends, and planned to be making a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, with all of the trimmings, for her family.

 

Rita Noble, an avowed book lover, has been working at Hugh Embry Branch Library for 17 years. She said she’s grateful for her family and friends, and is excited by the prospect of her first grandchild who is due this spring. Noble said she’ll be making a “Thanksgiving dinner “with all of the fixins’.”

 

 

 

Sister Jean Abbott, who oversees the Daystar Hope Center Thrift Shop in Dade City, said “I am thankful for the generosity of the people who donate their time and their money and their items, or their food and household stuff to us.

“It keeps our doors open. It keeps us able to assist people who are needy, and I’m especially thankful for the volunteers who do all of the work of processing that stuff that comes in, and making sure it’s in useful shape to go to the people who need it,” she said.

She plans to spend Thanksgiving at Saint Anthony Parish Hall, helping to serve others and enjoying her holiday meal.

It will be her second Thanksgiving dinner, which makes it hard to follow her primary doctor’s advice to watch her carbohydrates, she said.

 

Stephanie Critser and her 3-year-old son, Joshua, were enjoying a beautiful day at Zephyr Park recently — which offers an example of why the Zephyrhills woman is grateful this Thanksgiving. “I am very thankful that I am able to stay at home with him. I’m able to spend a lot of quality time with him. I haven’t always been able to do that, so this year, I am very thankful for that,” she said.

The family will be celebrating Thanksgiving with her in-laws, she said. “My husband (Daniel) is making his mashed potatoes.”

 

Suzanne Jasinski, of Land O’ Lakes, is grateful to be able to celebrate another Thanksgiving with her family.

“A couple of years ago, I was shivering, I thought I was cold. I kept putting blanket after blanket after blanket. My son said, ‘No, you’re going to the hospital,’” she recalled.

She didn’t want to go, but she went.

“It turned out to be septic. My kidneys were shutting down. I was in a coma for 3 ½ weeks,” she said. She was on dialysis, too.

“They took me off dialysis because my kidneys started working,” she said. Her doctor called her “his little miracle.”

Jasinski lives with her son, James, and her daughter-in-law, Michelle, and they expect about 20 people to celebrate Thanksgiving with them.

They’ll be enjoying a feast, including turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, yams — “the whole nine yards,” Jasinski said.

And, that includes dressing.

“Her oyster dressing is the best,” said Kimberly Lucas, Jasinski’s daughter, who was with her and Jasinski’s granddaughter, Ashley Lucas, at The Shops at Wiregrass.

Published November 22, 2017

KarenSue Molis makes fundraising an art form in Guv’na race

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KarenSue Molis didn’t come up with the idea of running for Lutz Guv’na on her own. The seed was planted by someone who knew a little something about the ceremonial title and the fundraising race that goes with it.

She was recruited by a previous Guv’na.

KarenSue Molis can't wear the Guv'na sash unless she earns the title, but she can roll around Lutz in the family's antique Jaguar or Thunderbird. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
KarenSue Molis can’t wear the Guv’na sash unless she earns the title, but she can roll around Lutz in the family’s antique Jaguar or Thunderbird.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

“Karen is enthusiastic, she is creative, and she appeals to just about everybody,” said Edwina Kraemer, who was Guv’na in 2006. “You want a winner for the club. You want a winner for the community.”

The club in question is the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, which selects and supports a candidate each year. And the community is Lutz, and the money raised by the annual Guv’na’s campaign goes specifically to community groups and service organizations.

After some coaxing, Molis decided she was up to the task, even though she had an inkling there was more to running for Guv’na than meets the eye.

“At first I declined, because I had a feeling there was a lot more work to this than I was being told,” she said with a laugh. “And believe me, there’s a lot more work to this than I was told!”

She’s having fun putting in the work necessary to compete in the race, which runs until the July 4 weekend. For Molis and the club, that means knocking on doors, drumming up some cash with raffles and planning events to raise the bulk of her war chest. Whichever candidate raises the most money earns the sash, so she’s getting creative with ways to collect as much as possible.

Being creative comes naturally for Molis, who was an art teacher for 11 years for elementary school children in her native Illinois. Her job took her to different schools, giving young students a chance to develop their skills, and also providing lessons that go beyond paintbrushes and crafts.

Art allows children to express themselves freely, Molis said. But it also teaches them that creating is a process, and there are steps each person takes as they progress. And that kind of discipline isn’t limited to art.

“It’s the same way in life. You can’t drive a car until you’ve been taught to drive the car. “You can’t bake a cake if you can’t follow the directions,” she said.

It’s not unusual that Molis referred to a car, when making her analogy.

Her husband of 46 years, Fred, is an antique car enthusiast, and they have a 1959 Jaguar and a 1957 Ford Thunderbird. The Thunderbird has been in the last four Lutz Fourth of July parades.

When Molis and her husband were moving to the area from Jacksonville to live closer to their grandchildren, they didn’t originally intend to live in Lutz.

They planned to live in Wesley Chapel.

But when their real estate agent showed them something else, they made a detour.

“The realtor showed us the community of Lutz, and of all the places he showed us, this one just felt good,” Molis said.

She joined the woman’s club to make friends and, six years later, she’s their candidate for Guv’na.

While Molis is full of smiles and eager to shake hands as she campaigns, she knows it’s all about the money. And she has a full slate of events planned to raise funds. Each Thursday, the club hosts a luncheon at the Lutz Community Center, 98 First Ave., N.W. And on June 6, she hopes to raise a lot of cash at a special car show from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. at Furniture Now Home & Accessories, 15445 N. Nebraska Ave. There’s a good chance the Molis antiques will make an appearance there as well.

While the club is working hard to put Molis over the top (their candidate last year just fell short in what was likely the closest race in Guv’na history), she knows that there are no losers in the race. When another Guv’na alumnus, Suzin Carr, explained that local organizations will get thousands of dollars to meet their goals and keep the local flavor of Lutz alive, Molis knew it was a good cause no matter the outcome.

“When she started telling me all the things that had been done with (the money), then I thought, well, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, because all of the money goes into the Lutz pot.”

If she does defeat the other two candidates, she’ll have some say in where a small portion of the money goes. And she’s already identified the Lutz Library, the Old Lutz School and Canine Companions, which helps provide assistance dogs to those in need, as her choices for Guv’na assistance.

With two children, three grandchildren and a lot of gardening to tend, Molis doesn’t lack for activities. But her schedule is all about the Guv’na race for the next month, and becoming even closer to the area that she joined just a few years ago.

“Of all the places we’ve lived in the United States, in the six years we’ve been here, we’re more a part of this community than we’ve been of any of the communities,” Molis said.

Published June 3, 2015

Jo Van Bebber’s nurturing ways left an imprint on Lutz

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When people talk about Alice Joan “Jo” Van Bebber, they’re quick to mention her nurturing ways, her zest for life, her culinary skills, and the fact that she was the first person to win the honorary title of Lutz Guv’na.

Jo Van Bebber was a fixture at community events in Lutz, including this holiday event where she joins Marilyn Wannamaker, right. (Courtesy of Cheryl Benton)
Jo Van Bebber was a fixture at community events in Lutz, including this holiday event where she joins Marilyn Wannamaker, right.
(Courtesy of Cheryl Benton)

Van Bebber, who was laid to rest on March 8, spent decades of her life serving her community.

She was a vital member of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, serving the organization as its president and in nearly other capacity, said Cheryl Benton, one of Van Bebber’s dear friends. She always made newcomers feel welcome, quickly taking them under her wing and teaching them the ins and outs of the club, other members said.

“I was a walk-in to the club,” Pat Serio said, noting she was attracted to the organization by its work to help survivors of spouse abuse.

Serio recalled that as soon as she arrived, Van Bebber greeted her and began introducing her around. By the end of the meeting, Van Bebber already had figured out how to put Serio’s talents to work to help the club and the community.

Beyond serving the local club, Van Bebber also was involved at the district, state, national and international levels.

When Van Bebber took ill, it was an “egregious blow” to the community, said Edwina Kraemer, another former woman’s club president and former Guv’na. Kraemer credited Van Bebber as being among a trio of women who recruited her to join the woman’s club.

“Jo was my mentor,” Kraemer said.

Van Bebber was vivacious and enjoyed entertaining, but she could be a stickler for details, club members said.

“She could be a general,” Kraemer said. “She knew parliamentary procedure, our bylaws and standing rules. She could quote the page and paragraph,” Kraemer said.

Besides her dedication to the woman’s club and to Lutz, Van Bebber was a devoted mother and grandmother, said Marilyn Wannamaker, another one of Van Bebber’s close friends. Van Bebber also was involved at the First United Methodist Church of Lutz.

Both women were widows and often dined together on the weekend, Wannamaker said. “To me, we lost a truly great lady.”

Van Bebber died March 5. Her husband Bill preceded her in death, and she is survived by three sons: Bill, Greg and Wynn, and a daughter Pam.

Van Bebber also is survived by nine grandchildren.

Published March 26, 2014

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