Monalee Hewett Reiswig passed away after battling with dementia on Dec 29, 2020 at the Golden Empire Nursing Facility in Grass Valley, CA with family by her side. She was 92 years old.
A memorial service has been held for her immediate family. A Celebration of Life will be determined at a later date.
Monalee was born on June 27, 1928 in Maysville, OK to Louia and Clara Hewett. Her family migrated and settled in Lodi, CA during her teenage years. At age 16, she fell in love with Isaac Reiswig Jr. and they eloped to Sparks, NV in 1944. They resided in Palo Alto and grew their family to 5, with children Suzanne, Isaac III and Daniel. She became a baptized Christian on Dec 12, 1963 at the Grace Lutheran Church of Palo Alto. She was employed with Hewlett-Packard in the 50’s and later started a small day care for working mothers. After moving to Grass Valley in 1969, Monalee earned her degree in early childhood education and opened her first preschool in 1970, the first one in Nevada County. She upgraded to a new larger facility on Ridge Rd in 1982, licensed for 55 children. She opened another school in 1987 off of Alta Hill in Grass Valley which was a partnership with her eldest son and daughter-in-law, Isaac III and Patsy. That school soon became the Country Preschool. She retired in 1993 and sold Monalee’s Preschool to her youngest son and daughter-in-law, Daniel and Kathleen. She lost her husband Isaac after 68 years of marriage to cancer on Dec 29, 2012, exactly 8 years prior to her passing. Her last few years were spent at Cascades of Grass Valley, Eskaton Village and, eventually, Golden Empire.
Her foremost interests were her personal and preschool families. She was a pillar in this community and had influenced the lives of many young families, including her hired teachers. Sewing and cooking were a few of Monalee’s passions and she loved presenting new recipes to her family, which included weekly lunch events with her children and cooking with her grandchildren. She was heavily involved with the Soroptimist Club of Grass Valley, which included a Woman of the Year award and had become a Lifetime Member. After retirement, she and Isaac traveled the USA by either Cadillac, Corvette or RV and spent much time in Hawaii, where they had a vacation home. They also took numerous cruises to the Caribbean, the South Pacific, Alaska, Australia and traveled Europe by car/train. Their grandchildren were included in many of these trips. She and Isaac loved Dixieland Jazz, Hawaiian and country music.
Monalee was a strong, yet patient, loving and encouraging woman. She will be missed dearly, but will remain included in the memories of all who loved her.
She is survived by her sons, Isaac III (and wife Patsy) and Daniel (and wife Kathleen) of Grass Valley; grandchildren Debi, Denise, Isaac IV, Lynette, Deanna, Matthew, Michael and Michelle; numerous great and great, great grandchildren.
She’s preceded in death by her husband, Isaac Jr; daughter, Suzanne; sisters, Joyce & Darlene; brother, Douglas
