Therese Morehouse, “Aunt Therese”, “Tess”, “Teresita”, and of course “Mom”, was born in Darlington, Wisconsin into a loving family of five: parents Isaiah and Anne (McCarville) Stauffacher, sister Mary Louise (“Dede”) and brother Phillip. Her father was a rural mail carrier, whose route she loved to ride on as a girl. Her mother was a teacher and, during World War II, a factory worker.
At age 17 Therese ventured north to Madison with some girlfriends and began a 30-year career as a U.S. government employee. She worked at Air Force bases in Madison and Denver before landing in the San Francisco Bay Area where she began a long stint as a secretary and later purchasing agent for the Veterans Administration. There she met Brett Morehouse, an amateur race car driver, whom she married in 1960. She worked to support the family while he earned a bachelor's degree so that he could become a teacher. In 1961 a son, Mark, was born. She was a caring and sympathetic support to him over the decades as he earned bachelor's and master’s degrees and weathered the highs and lows of the job market.
After her retirement she became the parish secretary at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Concord, her place of worship for 48 years. She loved to volunteer at the parish, helping at the St. Vincent de Paul Society, serving as sacristan, and taking the Holy Eucharist to shut-ins as well as driving them to Mass on Sundays.
Her vacations every year were spent in Michigan with her beloved sister Dede and her 7 nieces, the apples of her eye. She never missed one of their birthdays until the last month of her life. She loved hosting family and friends who remember her delicious French Toast and oatmeal cookies. She was also a dedicated tap dancer and loved performing with her friends. In her last half-decade she faced bravely the challenge of failing health and never gave up trying to help out, even if only folding clothes. She is missed every day by those who loved her. She is survived by her son, Mark, nieces Anne (Ralph), Margaret (Bjorn Dag), Mary Therese, Elizabeth (Mark), Bernadette (Lucian), Jennifer (Patrick) and Jane (Cristobal).
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Monday, July 11th at St. Francis of Assisi Church, Concord. In lieu of flowers the family asks that any donations go to the Dysphagia Outreach Project (www.dysphagiaoutreach.org).
