Join 2020 Oktoberfest Event from the Comfort of Your Home or Office!

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Register at https://seniortaxi.givesmart.com for free before October 2nd and you can see all our fabulous donated gifts available for your bid/donation to Muskego Senior Taxi. Check daily to see prizes being added that you won’t want to pass up. It will be lots of fun and help support your community at the same time! Bidding and games take place starting Friday Oct 2 at 6 pm and wrap up on Sunday Oct 11 at 6 pm.

Click on the link to see which generous business owners support your Muskego Senior Taxi so we can continue our mission of providing reliable transportation for seniors 60 and older and adults of any age with intellectual or physical disabilities to improve their quality of life and to provide peace of mind for their loved ones.

Thank You!

Meet Sandy!

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Meet Sandy, retired AVP from BMO Harris Bank

Muskego Senior Taxi would like to give a warm welcome to Sandy, the newest addition to our office volunteer team! Sandy has been volunteering for about 5 months. Although she’s new to the Taxi, she’s not new to living in Muskego, having moved here from Mukwonago about 20 years ago with her husband of 36 years – Mike. Sandy was already a volunteer at her church when our Director, who attends the same church, invited her to join the Taxi. Sandy helps by coordinating events, preparing grant requests, “closing” – which involves reconciling the end-of-day cash transactions & preparing drivers’ paperwork for the following day’s rides, and ordering items and decorating for the holidays.  This suits Sandy well – she really enjoys the variety. She has also greatly enjoys interacting with the drivers at the Taxi. “Everyone is friendly, knowledgeable, and focused on helping others,” she says.

Sandra Zielinski for soc media

Outside of the Taxi Service, Sandy has many varied interests including gathering with family; church activities – like being the chairperson of YAH (Young at Heart senior group); crafting, such as fused glass and cross stitch; sewing; and reading. Family is at the top of list. Sandy is able to spend quality time with her son Tim, daughter-in-law Jennifer, and grand-daughter Lauren who live nearby in Waukesha as well as her daughter Laura, son-in-law Brent, and grand-sons Zach and Wes who are in Muskego. Most recently the family watched Wes compete in a preliminary competition for the Robotics Club at school. How cool is that?

“Sandy’s good nature really brightens up the office,” says Director Karin Nickel. “Her varied talents have been a Blessing as well.”

Thank you for all you do Sandy!

Meet Muskego Senior Taxi client Mrs. Basse!

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Carolyn Basse (nee King) is both a familiar name and face to almost everyone who has lived in Muskego a while. She was born here, grew up here, was married here, had four kids here, did lots of community service and continues to enjoy living here.  In the summertime, Carolyn now takes the Taxi to the family’s country market so she can work at the cash register and visit with the many great friends she’s made throughout her wonderful life in Muskego.Carolyn Basse photo 2020

Carolyn grew up on the King Farm near Crowbar Dr.  Growing up, she not only helped around the family farm, but also worked at the former Muskego Beach which became Dandelion Park. She and her girlfriends worked at the Beach all day and then hurried up to change clothes before going dancing all night! While dancing she met her husband Alvin (Al) whose family also ran a farm in Muskego. Carolyn and Al fell in love and got married before he entered the armed services. Upon his return, they began to work at the Basse Farm full time. Together they raised four children; Dan, Gloria, Linda, and Rodger. All of them have successful careers and families now.

Carolyn and Al ran the Basse Farm for many years- selling at their market and bringing joy to the residents of Muskego. As dairy farmers, they participated in shows at Wisconsin State Fair, the Madison Expo, and even traveled to a show in Kentucky. She describes these fairs as the family’s vacation because they got a day off from the farm. The Basses were also both leaders in the 4-H Club for many years. Carolyn taught the children sewing, home furnishing, knitting, and showing cattle. Al taught them how to judge cattle. They were both very active in their church (Emanuel) as well. Al was President of the church and Carolyn held many office positions in the church, taught Sunday School and did the alter decorations. The Basses started leasing their beloved farm to Tom and Kim Schaefer in 2008, when it became too difficult for them to maintain.  After losing Al in 2013, Carolyn decided to continue working at the Basse Country Market and when her eyesight prevented her from driving there, she called on her family and the Muskego Senior Taxi to help. She loves the Muskego Senior Taxi because it has allowed her to see her old friends and meet even more lovely people. Her favorite parts about the Taxi are its punctuality and its patience in waiting for her to get ready for her rides. She says that The Taxi has been a positive influence on her life and she hopes to using the. “Good Lord willing, I will take the Taxi to and from our Country Market again this year!” she says.

Meet Sue – friendly Taxi Volunteer!

muskegoseniortaxi Volunteers

Before she retired, Sue was a teacher. Most of her 33-year teaching career was in the Elmbrook School District, teaching Social Studies to 7th and 8th graders. She retired from teaching and went to work in an office at State Fair Park for 8 more years. Sue was thinking about what she wanted to do in her 2nd retirement and knew she wanted to give back to her community and wanted to help seniors. She was contemplating volunteering for organizations such as Meals On Wheels (which had helped her mom in the past) or Muskego Senior Taxi. One day while out for a walk, she read on the Muskego Public Library marquee that the Taxi was looking for an office volunteer and felt it was a sign the she was supposed to come volunteer here.

Sue ONeill

Sue reached out to us and soon became a “closer” to help reconcile the end-of-day cash transactions & prepare the drivers’ paperwork for the following day’s rides. This has been a great fit since Sue likes to organize and make sure things balance. She’s passionate about making things work and also gets to interact with our volunteer drivers, making it lots of fun. Sue definitely recommends volunteering with the Taxi. She says, “It’s a great group of people who want to help others. You can’t ask for more than that.”

Besides volunteering with the Taxi, Sue and her husband Terry enjoy spending time at their cottage in Eagle River. You can usually fin

d them at the cottage from May through November hiking, boating, fishing, reading and gardening. Both Muskego and Eagle River are the perfect settings to indulge their many hobbies.

Sue and Terry have been married for 26 years & have lived in Muskego for almost 20 years now! When not in Eagle River, they love spending time with their nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews as well as their dog Murphy.

“Sue’s very calm disposition helps everyone else stay calm as the chaos of each day unfolds due to traffic delays, car repairs and life’s little surprises.” Says Director Karin Nickel. “She helps us go home in peace each night.”

Thanks for helping to keep the operation running smoothly Sue!

Meet Muskego Senior Taxi clients the Espurvoas!

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You’d expect most people who live in the northern states to move south after retirement, but the Espurvoas lived in the south and moved north after retirement.

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They met at a party in Brownsville, TX, where they were both teachers. David taught Junior High Math and later went on to become an Elementary School Principal. Paula taught Art at the High School, and then went on to teach at the local Alternative School.

They soon got married and had one son, David Espurvoa III. David and Paula each taught for over 30 years and retired in 1994. They spent the next 14 years as retirees in Texas. In the meantime, their son David III had married a Wisconsin native and moved to Milwaukee. He now teaches Drawing and Animation at WCTC and has one son, Alex, who is 22 and lives in Belgium, WI.

In 2008, the Espurvoas realized they needed the support of their son due to medical issues, so they moved north in 2008 to the Muskego Regency Senior Community in Wisconsin. Moving so far away from home was a tough transition. However, discovering the Muskego Senior Taxi made it much easier, because they could get great medical care without relying only on David III for all of their transportation needs.

David tells us, “I had to go to Dialysis in New Berlin (and eventually Waukesha) 3 times per week. My son and daughter-in-law took me for the first week. Right around that time, the Muskego community was starting up Muskego Senior Taxi. I started taking the Taxi to dialysis the following week. I use a walker and the drivers always help me with the walker as well as my seatbelt. Everyone has such good manners.”

“To me the Taxi is a life saver. I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you without it. I don’t know how my son could take us to all of our appointments AND do all that he does for us. Everybody back home assumes I’ve passed on but no – I just turned 85! I think the reason I’m alive today is because I moved to Wisconsin and thanks to the Taxi.”

The Espurvoas both utilize the Taxi for their medical appointments. David received a kidney transplant 10 years ago and no longer needs dialysis. Now that David has a new kidney, he and Paula ride with the Taxi to a variety of appointments. David says, “Moving to Wisconsin and Taxi extended my life for 10 years. And hopefully 10 more.”

Their son still drives them to places like the grocery store and to restaurants, which allows them to spend some quality family time together. The Espurvoas love using the Taxi, so David III can continue to teach at WCTC without the stress of worrying how his parents will get to their medical appointments. The Taxi has been instrumental in assuring David receives the healthcare he needs as well as his wife’s.