Ethel Mae Kopishke "Grandma Mae", age 98, passed away at the Dove Healthcare Nursing Home in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.

Grandma Mae was born on Nov 20th 1925. She grew up on a farm in Clear Lake South Dakota. Only weighing 3 pounds, she was stuck into a cigar box, and put into the warming oven above the stove to incubate. The oldest of 7 kids, Ethel Mae Hildebrandt, lived and worked on farms and was a Midwest farm girl through and through. I loved hearing all her stories about how she grew up. Loved them. When she graduated high school, grandma left for the big city of Minneapolis to see what all the fuss was about. She said she frequented Washington Ave and definitely enjoyed herself. She went by May O’day during this period. Let’s just say she was very “liberated” at this time in her life. Though kind of awkward to hear about as she got older, I still am very proud of the fact that she lived that life for herself. She met Melvin Kopischke in 1946 and they were married, had my mom and moved to Albert Lea to 1103 Madison. This will always be grandmas house.

What can I say about Grandma Mae. She was my unending source of unconditional love. Of course our parents love us but, we are together all the time, so there can be tensions. I wasn’t and easy child after 13. Never with grandma. I was her only granchild. I always felt safe, heard, understood and cared for. Every year, in the beginning of the summer and at the end (because both my parents worked in education) I’d head down to Albert Lea for two weeks. One with my dads side and one with my moms. This is when I’d stay at grandmas. Every Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas without fail. Our little family. What I wouldn’t do for one more of her Salisbury steaks and date filled cookies, or relish tray. She made the date filled cookies special for me, even though she hated making them, because she knew they were my favorite. Grandma loved coffee. When she met my grandpa my grandpas dad gave him the older times version of a single cup pour over. “Maybe she’ll just drink one cup then” ha. Not grandma. She’d give me cups of coffee, mostly cream and sugar, and the tiniest bit of coffee, for as long as I can remember. So yeah, my coffee thing is all grandma Mae. When I was little she’d let me sleep with her and we’d have “quite time”. It was during this time she’d let me tell her all my secrets without any sort of judgment or fear of her telling them. I never felt so safe. Even as a young child I had thoughts and struggles about me being adopted and language barriers with my Grandparents. My grandma would just listen. It was my favorite. Many times during the fall week, we, my Grandma Grandpa and I would pack up the big old car and head out to Idaho to see my grandpas sister. These were epic road trips. I’d have the whole back seat to myself with all my toys and my music. Grandma and Grandpa taught me how to count the mile markers and notice how the numbers were going up or down. We would stay in fancy hotels and eat out every night. They were probably truck stops and motors but to me they were amazing!! To this day it is why I love road trips. I’ll always credit them for that. Once in Idaho, (because school was starting when I got back) my grandma was tasked with getting me some school shoes. She wanted to walk to the mall which was I don’t know how far, but I wasn’t not having it, so I sat down on the sidewalk and was going to play who can be the most stubborn. Grandma sat right down next to me and said “ok, we’ll sit right here then”. Time went on. “You give me a headache” I said to her. “I’ll give you and ass ache”. She loved telling that story. Grandma won. I had shoes for school. Grandma used a push mower, shoveled her own walk with a shovel til she was 94. She would take her dentures out in church and smile at little kids to freak em out. Drive up to my school assemblies in snowstorms. Came to my plays. Brought me to the pool in the summers. And at 97 left the nursing home to come to a show of mine in Albert Lea.

I love you so so so much grandma. You’re the best grandma a kid could ever ask for. The best grandma.

Ethel is survived by her daughter Elaine (Francisco) Kopischke-Trejo; grandson Javier Trejo; great-grandchildren, Luke Malchow and Sierra Trejo; brother Robert Hildebrandt; and sisters, Dorothy Klinger, Helen Clemas, and Everlyn Jacobson.

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband Melvin Kopischke; granddaughter Misty Richardson; and brothers Merlin and LeRoy Hildebrandt.

Services will be held privately by family.

Last Update: Apr 29, 2024 3:44 pm CDT