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Former Wisconsin first lady dies; Alzheimer's advocacy legacy
Former Wisconsin First Lady Elaine Schreiber died this week after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Her legacy of fundraising and advocacy is being remembered.
MILWAUKEE - Former Wisconsin First Lady Elaine Schreiber died this week after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Schreiber's legacy of fundraising and advocacy is being remembered as helping improve the lives of all living with the disease.
"What I was struck by was her willingness upon her diagnosis to – instead of turn inward and isolate – really to think about how she might be able to elevate the cause," said Dave Grams with the Wisconsin Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.
Martin and Elaine Schreiber
As Elaine struggled in her later years, husband Martin Schreiber made it his mission to advocate for dementia care. He frequently spoke about dementia caregivers.
The former governor wrote "My Two Elaines" in 2017. It featured excerpts from Elaine Schreiber's personal journals as she began to struggle with memory loss.
"I think Elaine put a face on Alzheimer’s disease – people could live their best life along that journey," Grams said.
Grams said those words and the donations that came about because of them are priceless. He said lives have been improved because of the Schreibers.
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"We sit here today, in a room dedicated to really caregivers and helping caregivers live their best life along that journey," Grams said.
Schreiber passed away Monday, April 25 – more than a decade after first getting involved with the Alzheimer's Association. In Janury 2020, Wauwatosa's Lutheran Home opened a memory care facility named "Elaine's Hope" in her honor. Schreiber was also a patient there.
Dave Grams
The Schreibers were high school sweethearts – and married for more than six decades. Their work continues.
"There are more than 120,000 people across Wisconsin living with Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia," Grams said.
Martin and Elaine Schreiber
As baby boomers age, Grams estimates the number of Alzheimer's patients in the U.S. will double in less than 30 years.
Meanwhile, there are a number of ways you can help the cause – including the Alzheimer's Association Gala, held at American Family Field this June.
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