Parish involvement: Parish council chairperson, evangelization committee member
Hometown: Greenfield
(Submitted photo courtesy Denna Flemming)Siblings: Devon, 33; Creston, 24, and Darla, 21
Occupation: Associate Attorney at Kasdorf, Lewis & Swietlik, S.C. in Milwaukee
What’s on your iPod? I am open to different types of music. I don’t really like rap or country. I rarely use my iPod, but I have Sirius Radio in my car. Based on my top presets, I like pop music the most. I also enjoy musicals. My favorite is “Phantom of the Opera.” I recently had the opportunity to see it at West End in London.
If you could dine with anyone, living or dead, who would it be? I would have dinner with my deceased grandma, Evelyn Murawski. She passed away unexpectedly in 2011. I returned from a vacation early a few hours before she died and was with her in the emergency room when she died. I would give anything to talk with her one last time and give her a proper goodbye.
Denna FlemmingAge: 30 Parish: St. Alphonsus, Greendale |
Who has made the biggest impact upon you? My mom, Nadine Flemming, because she always supports me in every endeavor. She is a faith-filled woman and my best friend.
What does your normal weekend look like? My weekends are spent dining out with family or friends, catching a movie, play or sporting event, attending Mass on Saturday evening, and, of course, catching up on sleep.
Favorite prayer: The Prayer to St. Jude because my mom and grandma always had a specific devotion to him.
Favorite quote: My grandfather, Arthur Murawski, always said, “Do it right the first time.” I’ve always tried to implement this in my life. If one is not going to do something correctly the first time, why bother doing it at all, if it is not going to be done well? Doing it right the first time is also a time saver.
What is your favorite food, dessert? Being from Wisconsin, my favorite food is cheese. My favorite dessert is sorbet.
What do you enjoy most about going to Mass? I enjoy the order and tradition of the Mass. I was in Austria this past fall and attended Mass. I found comfort in being able to participate and knew exactly where we were in the Mass, despite not knowing any German.
A challenge in life that has strengthened your faith: When I was 17, I broke my dominant hand playing volleyball. I had my life all planned out. I was going to play volleyball in college and become a physician. I needed surgery and was going to be out for four weeks. However, a week after the first surgery, my hand spontaneously re-fractured and I needed a second surgery, which led to a prolonged recovery and extensive occupational therapy for six months.
I was unable to write and had to rely on my friends for their notes, to tie my shoes and do basic daily activities that most people take for granted. I fully recovered, but was told later that the doctor did not believe I would achieve full range of motion. I was able to return to the court as a senior, but decided not to pursue volleyball in college because I did not want to injure my hand again and not be blessed with a full recovery.
Denna Flemming, 30, flashes a smile from in the cockpit of the airplane she flew last summer. (Submitted photo courtesy Denna Flemming)
As a result, I attended UW-Madison, graduated in three years, and pursued a law career. I learned to put my trust in God. Even though you may not understand what God’s plan is for you, it is best to have faith because God’s plan and your plan may not always coincide but it will work out in the end.
Favorite pastime/hobby/activity: I enjoy traveling both domestically and internationally. While traveling, I like to avoid tourist destinations and go to smaller towns in order to get a sense of what life is like for the locals and to learn about other cultures. I also enjoy attending live theater productions and have season tickets to the Broadway Across America series, where I always enjoy seeing Archbishop Listecki.
What is the most important thing you want to accomplish in life? When I die, I want to be remembered as a good person who lived the faith and made a positive impact on the lives of those around me.
How do you live your faith every day? I pray daily. During Advent and Lent, I always read daily reflection books that I receive from my parish and a family friend. I also give thanks to God when something positive happens. I try to attend days of reflection. I fashion my life based on the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy.
What’s one thing that makes you unique: I flew an airplane this past summer.
