Veronica "Ronnie" Wiseman

Veronica "Ronnie" Wiseman, age 53, of Glendive, passed away on Thursday, November 15, 2007 in Glendive. A Life Tribute Service will be held at 10:00 A.M., Monday, November 19, 2007 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Celebrant Sandy Silha and Father Joseph Ponessa officiating. Interment will be in the Dawson Memorial Cemetery in Glendive. Silvernale-Silha Funeral Home of Glendive is entrusted with arrangements. Ronnie was born on September 22, 1954 in Beach, North Dakota, the daughter of James Lester and Marcella (Kahl) Wiseman. She was raised and educated in Glendive, graduating from Dawson County High School with the class of 1972. Ronnie then attended Dickinson State University at Dickinson, North Dakota, graduating from the nurses training program at the top of her class. Following her graduation from college, she and her family moved to Kingman, Arizona where she lived for a short time before returning to Glendive where she resided until the time of her death. Ronnie had been employed by Glendive Medical Center as a Registered Nurse her entire working career. She was a member of the Catholic Daughters and the "Red Hat Society". Ronnie enjoyed providing elder care for local residents in their homes. Ronnie's primary love was for her family, grandchildren and her animals. Ronnie will be greatly missed by all who knew her, having touched so many lives throughout her life. She loved life and continued living her life to the fullest even while battling a life threatening disease. Survivors include her daughters, Dawn Torres and her husband P.J., Kimberly Wiseman, Marcy Wiseman and Sadie Wiseman, all of Glendive; her parents, Jim and Marcella Wiseman of Glendive; her four sisters, Michelle Hegel and her husband Larry, Mari Brant and her husband Doug, all of Glendive, Debi O'Brien and her husband Tim of Mayville, North Dakota and Danielle Leshovsky and her husband Mike of St. Michael, Minnesota; her three brothers, James Wiseman and his wife Wanda, John Wiseman and his wife Dee, and Bob Wiseman and his wife Jannell, all of Glendive; a lifelong companion, Bill Ban of Glendive; five grandchildren, Taya Torres, Meadow Torres, Vinny Torres, Landon Barnett and Kendall Wiseman; many nieces, nephews and cousins. Celebrant Service: “There are people who can preach a sermon, and then there are those rare and special people who live a sermon.” These were the words used to describe Veronica “Ronnie” Wiseman by her brother, John Wiseman. Ronnie Wiseman lived her sermon. The life sermon Ronnie lived was a selfless dedication of time, energy and great love to all living things. Ronnie was a giver. If you had a want or need Ronnie was aware of, she would do all she could to see that want or need fulfilled. How often did you hear Ronnie express a want or need of her own…seldom. Ronnie was always available to lend a helping hand, but how often would she say she needed help or even accept it… seldom. Ronnie’s strength was her ability to give; her weakness was how difficult it was for her to receive. In a crowd, Ronnie could be found on the fringe, quietly visiting and joking with the person nearest to her. Ronnie avoided the spotlight or being the center of attention, she was that energy, that caring spirit that put you first, that made you feel important and cared for; she was, as the song puts it, “the wind beneath your wings.” Ronnie was the eldest of eight children, a strong personality. As in most families, someone has to set the pace, test the rules and that person was Ronnie. She was fearless and not afraid to go toe to toe with her father, Jim. He recalls some of her early misadventures, such as when he got up one morning and the house was filled with corn flakes, or when Ronnie covered the couch with corn syrup and it had to be thrown out. And oh yes, there was the roast set out on the counter intended for supper, that Ronnie fed to the dog. Her mother Marcella, didn’t feel Ronnie gave her much trouble growing up. Ronnie was all girl, and loved things girls love, make-up, hair, shoes. Marcella recalls a shirt Ronnie wore that stated, “If the shoe fits, buy it in every color”, a creed Ronnie lived by. Her sister Deb O’Brien still drools over a pair of sky blue suede lace up boots Ronnie had that Deb loved to wear. But Ronnie didn’t like her sisters wearing her shoes, she was afraid they would break the heels or ruin them some way. Another thing Ronnie didn’t like her sisters messing with was her make-up. Ronnie was a neat person and had her make-up in her drawer arranged neatly in a certain way. A sister, Mari Brant, would go in and play with Ronnie’s make-up, careful to put everything back just the way she had found it. Then Deb would go in and use the make-up but leave a mess. Both sisters would be in trouble with Ronnie. And then there was the hair. Ronnie was always perming and coloring her hair, and the hair of family around her. Ronnie didn’t spare her brothers either as John swears that he got as many perms as any one. Daughter, Dawn Torres, watched her mother work with hair so often, Dawn knows that is why she, Dawn, chose to be a beautician. A sister, Michelle Hegel, recalls Ronnie paying her quarters to brush and comb Ronnie’s hair. Ronnie would pay Mari and Deb quarters to do Ronnie’s cleaning for her. All of them thought they were getting the best of that deal. Danielle Leshovsky, Ronnie’s youngest sister, remembers Ronnie in a different light. With 17 years difference in age between herself and Ronnie, Danielle doesn’t remember Ronnie living at home with the family. Danielle says Ronnie was like a second mom to her and she got into a lot of trouble with her parents, because she would spend so much time at Ronnie’s house, going there when she got out of school instead of home. Ronnie treated Danielle more like a daughter than a sister. Ronnie was a great seamstress and made lots of clothes. Often she would dress her daughter, Dawn, and Danielle in the matching outfits. Ronnie also did this with her youngest daughter, Sadie and her niece, Kayla Wiseman, who was close to Sadie’s age. For Ronnie it was like having live dolls to play with. When Ronnie was in her own home, it was a gathering place for her siblings, and as time went on for the families of her siblings. Katilla Wiseman, a niece, relates it was nothing for Ronnie to let her and ten of her 8th grade friends gather and have overnighters at Ronnie’s house. She was very patient and tolerant of them and would pretty much let them spend the night baking cookies or goofing off, whatever 8th graders do, often being right in the middle of it all. Ronnie’s daughters all agree that their mother had an incredible amount of patience and was very slow to anger. But when she got angry, daughter Kim recalls a certain way that her mother would set her lips and how sometimes a particular spatula entered the picture. This didn’t happen often because it was hard to get on Ronnie’s bad side. Ronnie’s four daughters were the center and pride of her life. Even when Ronnie was going through hard times, her girls were not very aware of it. Ronnie saw to all their needs, sacrificing much so her girls had what other girls had. Dawn recalls when Cabbage Patch dolls were the rage, Ronnie could hardly afford to feed her children, but they each got a Cabbage Patch doll of their own. Kim tells the story of living in Dickinson, North Dakota one winter, and Ronnie going to the junkyard to buy a car. Ronnie found one that sort of ran, bought it, took it home and was working on making it run better. A man came by and offered to help and Ronnie told him no, don’t touch a thing, she was going inside to get a tool and would be right back, please leave it alone. Well, the guy couldn’t leave it alone and he had to try something. When Ronnie came out, the guy was gone and a piece was broke which she couldn’t fix and the car wouldn’t run. Ronnie spent that winter pulling her kids on a sled to school and home every day. Ronnie was very independent and self-sufficient and always tried to help herself and not depend on others for anything. Ronnie was a classic do-it-yourselfer. She was a smart woman, and was self-taught at most things. When she decided to take care of her own car and do the maintenance herself, she asked her brother Bob to show her how to change the oil. Bob says you only had to show Ronnie something once and she could do it. Sometimes her trial and error way of learning was very frustrating for her family, especially when they wanted to help but she wouldn’t let them. One such time was when she decided to redo a room in her basement that was Dawn’s bedroom. She was slapping up some wood she had gotten hold of and had a real mess going. Realizing she was in over her head, her brother-in-law Doug Brant brought his tools over. He pointed out that all the wood she had been using was warped, no way could she finish the room. Much to Ronnie’s dismay, Doug took down all her work and helped her finish the room correctly. Ronnie kept working and learning about construction and also about concrete. She built a playhouse for her children, not once but twice. The first time effort, she wasn’t satisfied with, so it came down and she rebuilt it. No task was too daunting for Ronnie to take on. Ronnie was a very creative person. She could make, re-make and create things from almost nothing. Ronnie made and sold items at the very first Zonta craft show held here in Glendive. She made and decorated her home for every holiday with her own creations; if you received a birthday or Christmas gift from Ronnie, most likely she had made it and it would be a fun, unique and very personal surprise. She might melt vinyl records and albums to mold a basket filled with goodies or give the gift of a beaded photo album. A holiday event that the family remembers in particular is one Easter. Ronnie loved to make up baskets and hide decorated eggs for the kids to find. Ronnie had been messing with caramel and the gooey candy had gotten on just about everything, including the eggs. Dawn recalls Ronnie’s explanation of the eggs being sticky. Ronnie told everyone that the Easter Bunny had sneezed on them. Brother Bob remembers Ronnie asking him to give her his old blue jeans and flannel shirts from which she made a quilt for him. Bob loved that quilt and used it until he pretty much wore it out. He took it back to her and Ronnie refurbished it for Bob. Ronnie’s siblings, aware of her talents, never attempted to make something to give to Ronnie, knowing she could probably do it herself and do it better. But one Christmas, Deb drew Ronnie’s name to exchange a gift with. Ronnie asked Deb if Deb was going to give her a quilt, which is something Deb makes also. Deb said no, but had already made Ronnie a quilt and when Ronnie opened it at Christmas, Deb was a bit surprised how much it meant to Ronnie that someone had made something especially for her. With her busy hands, creative mind, and her knack for flair, there wasn’t much Ronnie couldn’t accomplish. And this gift was passed on to at least one of her daughters. If you have been in Dawn’s home or seen her creations, it is evident Dawn learned well from her mother. One of Ronnie’s other passions was her garden. It was the one area she asked all the kids, nieces and nephews, and others to steer clear of. She had a green thumb and loved growing flowers and vegetables. Marcy remembers a flower garden by the driveway that caused her mother some distress. One morning Ronnie came into the house very upset because some so and so had left tire marks throughout this garden. Marcy’s reply was “oh, no.” Marcy didn’t dare confess to her mother until days later that those tire marks were from her. Her mother’s anger had simmered down by then and not much was said. The next day, Marcy noticed the garden had a fence around it. Ronnie was not great at verbal communication. She tended to teach by example. Her daughters and family admit that to have a good conversation with Ronnie you had to corner her somewhere, such as the bathroom. Kim remembers deciding that it was time to have the facts of life explained, and having to talk to her mother about this while Ronnie was in the bathroom. Dawn says that when Ronnie wanted her to know about something, she would leave articles she had cut out of magazines and newspapers laying around Dawn’s bedroom to read and learn from. If Ronnie knew you were down or upset or had a problem, her favorite thing was to tell you that you would be fine, accompanied with a rub and pat on the back. With all people, Ronnie instinctively knew the importance of time and attention. She gave of it tirelessly, and generously to family, friends, and in her profession of nursing, to the extended care residents and patients she cared for. A friend and co-worker, Julie Vogelee tells that as a nurse working in extended care, Ronnie always gave extra time to the residents and their families. If she observed or knew of a special need not available during her regular duties, she would take it upon herself to meet those needs of the resident or of their family. The residents loved Ronnie and her caring ways. As a friend for over 17 years, Julie found Ronnie able to give unquestioning and endless love and support. You could always count on Ronnie and as Julie put it, Ronnie was her “rock.” Julie observed over the years that Ronnie was always giving to others and it was very hard to give to Ronnie or do anything special for her as Ronnie just didn’t voice or demand any needs or wants. If you wanted to do anything special for Ronnie, you had to work hard to find what that might be. Another friend and co-worker, Pam Wyse, commented that although her friendship with Ronnie had only developed over the past five years, it was one of the most important friendships she had. It began when Pam worked with Ronnie as a Certified Nurses Assistant. After Pam went to nursing school, she failed her first attempt to pass the boards. Pam repeated the test, and was at work when she received that she had passed the second test and was board certified. Immediately, balloons and a card were delivered from Ronnie. The card read, “I knew you could do it. Now you know you can do it.” Pam was deeply touched. Ronnie loved working with the elderly and loved her job working in the extended care facility. And Ronnie always worked the night shift because then she could take care of her children during the day. Pam tells of Ronnie working long 12 hour shifts for days in a row and still bringing baked good for her co-workers almost every time she worked. Ronnie was always giving to others. One of the most important people Ronnie had the opportunity to work with was her daughter, Marcy. Marcy became a C.N.A. and got to work with her mother and observe first hand the work her mother loved and the care she gave to all the residents and the way those residents responded to Ronnie. It is something Marcy will remember about her mother always. Pam was on duty one evening when she got word that Ronnie had been diagnosed with cancer in Billings and was going to call Pam to tell her. Pam braced herself, not wanting to get emotional on Ronnie, but rather be upbeat and supportive. When Ronnie called to talk, Ronnie told Pam about the diagnosis. They talked a bit and then there was a silence as both began to cry. Pam apologized for the emotion but Ronnie commented that it was okay because she knew she could cry with Pam and not feel like a dork. Friend, Julie, also recalls the first time Ronnie became a grandmother. Julie was on duty when Ronnie came running, all exited, to get Julie to come and see her new granddaughter. When Ronnie and Julie got to the obstetrics ward and could view baby Taya, Ronnie was speechless with excitement. Julie observed this same excitement with the birth of each of Ronnie’s grandchildren. Ronnie was a wonderful grandmother. She would give each grandchild their special time with her, when they each had her sole attention. Taya and Meadow will always remember the wonderful bags of goodies, toys, and flipflops or shoes that Grandma Ronnie made up for them on special occasions or holidays. Taya and Meadow knew with Grandma Ronnie the candy and caffeine was nearby. Taya says when the ice cream truck would come by the house, she and Grandma Ronnie would race to get ice cream. Ronnie was a great lover of candy and junk food, and would share with anyone who wanted some. Another of Ronnie’s loves was animals. She enjoyed pets and would always take in an animal in need. Her most notorious pet was a minature pot pig she acquired. Except that the minature part didn’t hold and the pig, Bailey, grew enormous. Several hundrd pounds worth. Ronnie was very protective of that pig and wouldn’t let anyone say bad things about Bailey. She would go the grocery store and buy the outdated foods that were on sale and feed them to Bailey. Taya, when visiting Grandma Ronnie, would sometimes put a halter on Bailey and take him for walks outdoors. At 3:30 every afternoon, Ronnie would sit in front of the television and watch Jeopardy, a favorite show, and rub Bailey’s belly with her feet. It was a ritual. Another animal Ronnie was partial to was her parents pug dog, Spike, who she called “her little brother”. When Ronnie would visit her parents she would snuggle up with Spike on their couch. Ronnie’s favorite television shows liked were detective shows, such as Perry Mason, way back when or today’s Law and Order. Ronnie always loved scary movies, but would not watch them alone. As a youngster, she would have her siblings watch with her, even though they would have nightmares, and later it was her daughters who she made sit with her through the show. No one but Ronnie enjoyed being scared, but she got them to all watch with her and then shake their heads and wonder why. It was hard to turn Ronnie down, because she asked so little of you. Some other things Ronnie enjoyed doing were gambling and playing Bingo, and shopping the thrift stores and the Attic. Any of us could go into these stores and not see anything worth picking up, and Ronnie could go in right after and come out with the best finds. Daughter, Sadie says that she is known as the Attic Girl amongst her friends for all the clothes Ronnie got for her there. Dawn tells that Ronnie found the dress she wore to Dawn’s wedding at the attic and she looked fabulous in it. Ronnie had a knack for great finds. Ronnie was person who valued neatness in her life. Ronnie’s mother, Marcella, on the other hand, saved everything. Ronnie’s mission was to clean up her mother’s house. Many the time when Marcella would come home to find a closet or room neat and cleaned out. Ronnie had been there and when Ronnie hauled out the trash, she would take it to a garbage half way down the block so Marcella couldn’t find it. A couple of interesting notes about Ronnie. One being, if you noticed on the memory board is a cut out of a cow. Ronnie collected cows. The other is that Ronnie always wore a pin of some kind. Today Ronnie is wearing a pin featuring three angels. Over the years, Ronnie taught her daughters many valuable lessons by the way she lived her life. One such time came while living in Dickinson with young Dawn and Kim. Times were tough and Ronnie had to do something that came very hard for her, Ronnie had to go on welfare to exist. Ronnie explained to her girls that sometimes you need a little help to get by. But then she taught them another lesson. When she was able, Ronnie paid the welfare money back, every cent. What can be said about that except…WOW! The Christmas Kim was a senior in college, she came home and had about three presents under the tree. One was a new wallet. Ronnie told her to open it and see what it held. Inside was a note from her mother saying that she wanted Kim to follow her dream and go to Washington, DC. With the note was $1000. Ronnie didn’t have a thousand dollars, but had taken out a loan for Kim’s dream. But it wasn’t just family, friends and the extended care residents that Ronnie made the sacrifices and extra effort for. No matter what her circumstances were, Ronnie was a regular contributor to the Food Bank. She gave to good causes and others in need throughout her life, many times when she had little to give. Ronnie had a house on the road to the dump ground. At one time, a homeless man named Pancho lived at the dump, and Ronnie would leave food and things for Pancho in her mailbox. About a month ago, as Ronnie was leaving town, she asked her sister, Mari, if she could stop and cash a check. Mari stopped and Ronnie cashed a check so she could buy two cases of canned food to give to the Jaycees Stuff A Truck that was going on. Ronnie was always giving. That giving to the Stuff A Truck was as Ronnie was on her way to Bismarck, North Dakota for a sister-mother week-end. Ronnie’s cancer diagnosis made everyone more aware of the preciousness of time spent together. After the diagnosis, Ronnie admitted to needing one thing…her mother. And Marcella was there for her daughter as were all Ronnie’s family and friends. Ronnie and Marcella traveled and spent many days in Billings these past months as Ronnie received treatments. The sister-mother weekend was to be a time of enjoyment, and it was. The time and laughter shared is even more important now that Ronnie is gone. One high point was going to the Cracker Barrel restaurant. Michelle and Mari tell about giving the name to the hostess to be seated. A young waiter comes to the table, looks around at the women, looks at the name and says “six Wiseman, is this a joke?” The other activity Mari and Danielle will long remember is Ronnie suggesting they shop the thrift store. Mari and Danielle just looked at each other and thought okay we’ll play along, but not our thing. Mari and Danielle were the last ones out of the store, they were having so much fun. The week-end also reminded them about one of Ronnie’s personality traits. Ronnie operated on very little sleep. Four hours tops. Their nickname for Ronnie was “baby”. “Baby” would be awake most nights most of the time. “Baby” was up most of the night in Bismarck, munching on snacks, and looking out the window, much to the dismay of her roommates. But it was a week-end of memories and bonding, of laughter and hugs. It was time well spent. Ronnie was a beautiful woman, a real head-turner. Bill Ban, Ronnie’s long time companion, found Ronnie to be the most wonderful and beautiful woman he has ever met and he loved her more than he’ll ever love anyone again. Ronnie’s beauty was not skin deep. She had a beautiful heart and soul. Ronnie lived her sermon of giving to others and she did it with a selfless beauty, grace and style. The significance of Ronnie’s touch on family, friends, and community is immense. Ronnie will not be remembered for her words but for her many kind and loving deeds. As we listen to Rodney Schafer play and sing “Amazing Grace”, Ronnie’s family will be coming forward to place some of Ronnie’s favorite flowers on Ronnie’s casket as a symbol of their love for this warm and wonderful woman who has given them so much. Song: “Amazing Grace” played and sung by Rodney Schafer Celebrant: Closing Ronnie Wiseman was a humble woman, and if she could see all of you who have gathered to honor her life among us, she would be overwhelmed. We can only hope Ronnie was somewhat aware of the great love and respect she generated with the way she lived her life. Ronnie did not think about the number of lives she touched, the number of people she gave to, the amount of love, care and concern she dispensed. She just did it, one by one, every minute of every day. We can be grateful that she lived the way she did. Everyone who knew Ronnie and felt her touch on their lives is very fortunate. Ronnie was a presence in the lives around her and her death has left a hole in our hearts that is difficult to fill. To Ronnie’s daughters, Dawn, Kim, Marcy, and Sadie, to her parents, Jim and Marcella, to her grandchildren, to her brothers and sisters and all of Ronnie’s extended family “we gather with you to share the pain, to hurt when you hurt without presuming that our pain is the same. We gather to cry when you cry and not try to avoid the tears. For who can take away the pain? We gather to give to you the gift of our grief” as we also feel the loss of Ronnie. In a few days it will be Thanksgiving and the holiday season will begin. Ronnie’s family will need us in the coming weeks and months. No one wants to mourn alone. When something reminds you of Ronnie, share it with the family. Send them a note, an e-mail, or call and let the family know what a significant impact Ronnie had on your life and that you remember her. Be very present this holiday season, and honor the memory of this good woman. Today is an important day. We have taken time to stop and bear witness to Ronnie Wiseman’s life and times among us, to make note of the difference her living and dying has made among family and community, we have taken time to express our grief, our hope and our memories. Thank you all for being here for this important time. Please listen to the following words. The author is unknown: “You can shed tears that she is gone or you can smile because she has lived. You can close you eyes and pray that she’ll come back Or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left. Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her Or you can be full of the love you shared. You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday Or you can be happy for tomorrow, because of yesterday. You can remember her, and only that she’s gone Or you can cherish her memory, and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back Or you can do what she’d want; smile, open your eyes, love and go on.” Let us conclude Ronnie Wiseman’s life tribute service with a prayer from Father Ponessa.

Veronica "Ronnie" Wiseman

September 22, 1954 - November 19, 2007

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Veronica "Ronnie" Wiseman

September 22, 1954 - November 19, 2007

What We Do

Flowers & Gifts

Plan Ahead

About Us

Resources

Obituaries

Grief & Healing

Contact Information

365 Days of Grief Support