A Family Funeral Home

Osanna Kaprelian

October 5, 1924 - June 12, 2016
Racine, WI

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Visitation

Thursday, June 16, 2016
4:00 PM to 6:00 PM CDT
Maresh-Meredith & Acklam Funeral Home
Racine Location
803 Main St.
Racine, WI 53403
(262) 634-7888

(Prayer Service at 5:00 P.M.) AND Friday at the church from 10:00 A.M. until time of Mass at 11:00 A.M.

Driving Directions

Service

Friday, June 17, 2016
11:00 AM CDT
St. Mesrob Armenian Apostolic Church
4605 Erie Street
Racine, WI 53402

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

St. Mesrob Armenian Apostolic Church
4605 Erie Street
Racine, WI 53402

Life Story / Obituary


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1924-2016

Osanna Kaprelian (Nee: Topalian), age 91, passed away peacefully and prayerfully with her children present at Wheaton Franciscan Hospital on Sunday, June 12. Osanna was preceded in death by her beloved parents Almas (Nee: Musurlian) Topalian Esaian and Hayrabed Topalian; her attentive older brother Yegia Topalian; her loving husband of 60 years Matthew Kaprelian; and her devoted daughter RoseAnne Lee.

She is survived by her dear children: daughter Mary (David Azarian) Kaprelian; son Sam (Janice) Kaprelian; and son Charles (Judith) Kaprelian, as well as grandchildren Jennifer Anne Lee, Charles Richard (Erin) “Ricky " Lee IV, Matthew Edward Kaprelian, Deanna Lynn (Brian) Kaprelian, and Wendy Leigh Kaprelian, and Alexander Charles Kaprelian. She will be greatly missed by her great-grandchildren Brittnee, Matthew Jr. "MJ", Madilyn, Mykayla, Vincenzo, Stella, Dwight “DJ”, Tyler, Jayden, and yet to arrive Charles "Charlie" Richard Lee V. She is further survived by her brother Esay (Rose) Esaian and their children, Michael, Sandra, Louise, and Tod with whom she shared loving relationships.

Osanna was born October 5, 1924 and grew up in South Milwaukee where she graduated from South Milwaukee High School and went to work as a secretary and bookkeeper for various companies there and in Racine. She spent much of her childhood and adolescence in the company of her four sister cousins, Manam, Mary, Helen, and Rose Topalian. In 1947 she met and married the love of her life, Matt, and raised four children in five years, two of whom were diagnosed each with Rheumatic Fever and Polio. She nursed each of them back to health and good lives.

She is most remembered for her 25 years of employment with Piggly Wiggly where she was affectionately known by the nickname “Oscar", but certainly not the perennial “grouch" of Muppet fame. As a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, niece and friend, she was loved and lovable, caring and cared for, kind and generous, and always smiling. She adored dearly, and lived for her four children.

She and Matt retired in 1984 and began spending a restful life among Racine, Adams- Friendship on Lake Camelot, and in Las Vegas where they had homes. She enjoyed domesticity especially gardening where her colorful plots and planters bloomed constantly. She was an avid cook and made everything from scratch, particularly the famous Armenian dishes of her past. Her penchant for old black and white television westerns sustained her heritage in knowing “the good guys always won”, and conjured memories of the Armenian Death Marches by the Turks, as the pioneers ventured forward on new journeys. The fantasy of the westerns and their treatment of Native Americans somehow reminded her of her parents' plight with destruction through the Armenian Genocide. She was a deep thinking woman with a wonderful singing voice who held very high family values.

Friends, family and relatives may meet to pay final respects at Maresh-Meredith Funeral Home on Thursday evening, June 16 from¬¬¬¬¬¬¬ 4:00 P.M. until 6:00 P.M. (Prayer Service at 5:00 P.M.) and again on Friday morning, June 17, at St. Mesrob Church, 4605 Erie Street, from 10:00 A.M. with a Mass of Armenian Burial to follow at 11:00 A.M. Private interment will take place at the Southern Wisconsin Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery, Town of Dover.

The immediate family of Osanna Topalian Kaprelian would like to send their most heartfelt gratitude to the organizations and staff of Wheaton Franciscan –All Saints Medical Center, Becker Shoop Rehabilitation Unit, Lake Shore Manor, and Home Harbor Assisted Living Facility for the sensitive care of their mother. Special and most sincere thank you to Doctors Paul Durbin, Myron Mikaelian, Ryan Engel, and David Ross are extended. Donations in Osanna’s name are suggested to St. Mesrob Armenian Apostolic Church,

4605 Erie Street, Racine, Wisconsin. All of these wonderful agencies and individuals added to the quality and fullness of life that our mother experienced for 91 years on earth.