Delores Marie Brost, age 97, of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on June 3rd, at Eagle’s Wings, surrounded by the love of her family.
There will be a visitation at Koepsell-Murray Funeral Home in Beaver Dam on Friday, June 13, 2025 from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The funeral service will follow at the funeral home on Friday at 12:30 p.m. with Fr. Nick Dhein officiating. Burial will be at St. Peter Cemetery in Beaver Dam.
Born on February 25, 1928, in Baraboo, Wisconsin, Delores was the cherished daughter of Martin and Pearl (Whitmore) Smith. She attended Saint Peter’s Catholic School for nine years and then graduated from the Beaver Dam High School in 1945. She embarked on a journey of love and family when she married Richard Potter in 1946. Their union brought forth a beautiful daughter, Cindy. Tragically, their time together was cut short when Richard lost his life in an auto accident in 1952, leaving Delores to navigate the challenges of single motherhood with grace and resilience.
In 1956, Delores found love again when she met Claude Brost, who would become her devoted partner and the father to three more children: Tom, Jerry, and Joy. Together, they created a nurturing home on a hobby farm in Allenton, where they instilled values of hard work and community in their children. Delores and Claude also shared their entrepreneurial spirit by owning and operating the Brost Drive-In restaurant and Brost Foods, serving the community with warmth and dedication until their retirement in1997. Delores also enjoyed bowling with many of her dear friends in Allenton. She was a 56 year member of the American Legion Auxiliary of Allenton. During her years in Allenton, Delores was a member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in St. Anthony and Resurrection Catholic Church in Allenton.
Following Claude’s passing in 2004, Delores returned to her roots in Beaver Dam in 2008, seeking a new career as a chauffeur to her growing grandsons, Luke and Ben. As a previous member of Saint Peter’s Church, she joined St. Katharine Drexel Parish.
Delores will be remembered for her unwavering love for her family, her strength in the face of adversity, and her generous heart. She had a remarkable ability to bring people together. Her kindness wasn’t just a virtue; it was a standard she held herself and others to without compromise. To her, being kind was the simplest form of wisdom-and she expected you to be wise. Her legacy lives on through her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, who carry forward the values she instilled in them. Delores will be deeply missed, but her spirit will forever remain in the hearts of those who knew her. May she rest in peace.
Delores is survived by her children, Tom (Bonnie) Brost of Superior, Jerry (Chris) Brost of Arbor Vitae, and Joy (Ed) Lachendro of Beaver Dam; grandchildren, Jilayne (Larry) Berry, Candace Threadgill, Tiffany (James) Dean, Luke Lachendro (Zoe Albert) and Ben Lachendro; seven great grandchildren; 13 great-great grandchildren; brother, Irwin Smith (recently turned 100); sister-in-law, Carolyn Smith; nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands; daughter, Cindy (Paul) Sauer; siblings, Gerald Smith, Berndetta Uebel, Donald Smith and Virgil (Mae) Smith.
Thank you to those who remembered Delores through visits, calls, or cards during her (almost) five years at Eagle’s Wings. Thank you to the Eagle’s Wings staff and Hillside Hospice; their dedication and compassion was so appreciated.
In Delores’ memory, please consider supporting St. Vincent’s de Paul or a local food pantry. She was so grateful for the community resources and supports that her family often relied on when she was young.