Madeleon Rogowski, 73, who along with her husband kept the village of Merrionette Park running for about 20 years and eventually became its president, died Thursday, Feb. 28, of congestive heart failure in Aurora Medical Center, Kenosha, Wis.
Mrs. Rogowski and her husband, Harry, were among the first to settle in the tiny, south suburban village in 1954.
The Rogowskis moved to a two-bedroom ranch house on Albany Drive, later renamed after her husband. “Everybody knew each other,” said Carol Sullivan, village clerk.
The couple believed in making a difference, and the way to do that was to be involved, said their son Dave. That required obtaining a position “where you can be heard,” he said.
That’s why Mrs. Rogowski in the 1970s started working in the village’s water department, figuring out the bills. For about four years, she served on the village board when her husband was village treasurer.
Then, she was elected clerk from 1980 to 1989 when her husband was village president. After he died in 1989, Mrs. Rogowski was elected village president and served in that position until she retired in 1993.
“Anything Madeleon could do, she’d be there,” Sullivan said.
Mrs. Rogowski was an independent woman who stood her ground, her son said.
“She wasn’t afraid to put her foot forward,” he said. “She also did it very diplomatically. She learned you can speak your mind and do it respectfully rather than coming on too strong. She liked to do things her way–she wanted to try to do things her way–but she knew you had to do things as a team.”
Her favorite Frank Sinatra song was “My Way,” said her son Mike.
The Rogowskis were considered the “pillars of the village” and remembered for their community contributions. A baseball field and children’s park are named after Mrs. Rogowski’s husband, who was involved in Boys’ Little League for about 20 years.
“They helped make the village what it is today,” Sullivan said.
Mrs. Rogowski was born in Rhinelander, Wis., but grew up on Chicago’s South Side. She met her husband at an outdoor dance in Chicago and the two married in 1950.
Mrs. Rogowski moved to Salem, Wis., 1 1/2 years ago to be closer to her son Dave.
Mrs. Rogowski is also survived by a son Tom; a sister, Kay Britton; and five grandchildren.
Services have been held.
