Mary Steinke is celebrating her 55th year as a Realtor with Shorewest Realtors, but Mary and her husband, Brian, were known more for opening their home to others than for selling homes in Lake Country. Early in their marriage, with 5 small children, the Steinke’s moved 15 times in 11 years – before they built their barn lumber home in Wales. “Moving gave me an appreciation for the meaning of home. “Household” has the deeper meaning of therapy.” The Steinke’s took that to heart after their first foster child joined them. They share countless stories of people who have stayed in between renting a home and buying a home.
About Mary Steinke
In these days when people are curious about their roots and destiny, I am the product of second-generation immigrants on one side and the daughter of the Revolution on the other. At age 11 our family moved to Lake Country, on the east shore of Moose Lake with no indoor plumbing or air conditioning. Stone Bank grade school became the educational venue for my brothers and me in the same classroom in the 50’s. The Oconomowoc HS district extended as far east as North Lake, so I rode the bus 7 miles to High School.
After-school activities included cheerleading and theater, Spanish, and Journalism clubs, to name a few, often mandated sleepovers with friends. As the eldest of 5, my responsibility was to drive everyone everywhere. When I graduated in 1955 the price of gas was .23 per gallon. My “Grandma Uber” service continues to make me happy to this day, now transporting as many as 64 Grands and Greats. My many roles in life have had something to do with service.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
My husband, Brian, and I met while doing dishes in the girls dorm at UW Madison. He couldn’t ignore my laughter and I became the best cheerleader and spectator at all of his swimming and track events, including US Olympian meets. Our shared joy became our five children.
Q: Please tell us about your life and what you do (whether working in our community, a business owner, volunteer, etc.). How did you choose that path?
“Service above self” matched my heart’s mission since the 1980’s when I was the first woman Rotarian in Oconomowoc, and later the first woman President of our local club in 1997. Service & Fundraising in any service club allows for extended fellowship in the community. When I look back at 55 years at Shorewest, I think of Brian reminding people that “We occupy homes but we live in relationships”. My career became an extension of who we are, inviting many to live in our home or find a new home. Our children learned to welcome the stranger and sacrifice personal space, a value they continue with their families.
Q: What do you love most about what you do?
I love helping people find that therapeutic element in a home. Our granddaughter, Joelle, coined our new motto, “Guiding you like Family, all the way Home” for The Steinke Team.
Q: What advice would you give to someone interested in doing something similar to what you have done/are doing?
In my mind Commission selling allows for a Missional career.
Mary Steinke & Our Community
Q: What is your favorite thing about our community, favorite thing to do, or something unique about our community that you love? (Feel free to share as much as you’d like!)
Lake Country has a magnetism because of the light reflecting from the many bodies of water and it stirs recreation, thereby we meet and greet each other more. We’re outdoors more, our headlines in our local papers have more good news than discouraging issues of the day. Highlighting how much we serve one another. No matter where your feet are in our community, we are less than a mile away from a body of water… a river, pond or lake. Some of the finest institutions for service, education, recovery, therapy, and recreation have their roots here. A personal celebration for me is the new introduction of Accessory Dwelling Units by permit.
For Fun
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
In the old days when we used print media, classified ads were listed by municipality, but I wanted to identify and market to the whole area, so I contacted the ad person at the Milwaukee Journal and asked for a new classification coined “Lake Country”. It became the favored column for many industries and many attribute the term to my efforts.
Q: What is your favorite book, TV show, movie, poem, or song? Why?
A poem: The Curator, by Miller Williams. Movie: Chariots of Fire. I’m apt to enjoy humor or soul searching media, art, literature.
Q: What makes you the happiest?
I enjoy Bicycling as much as possible and I am a trail-seeking missile. I enjoy writing poetry, gardening, reading, visiting with friends and going to my bible studies. The current count is 64 grands and greats and my family is my greatest joy.
Where to Find Mary Steinke
Email: msteinke@shorewest.com
Phone: (414) 254-3423
Nice To Meet You:
I believe in positively impacting my clients and the community I live in, which is why I jumped at the chance to be an ambassador with “The Faces of Lake Country”. It’s a perfect blend of why I enjoy being a Realtor with Shorewest, Realtors, and everything I love about living in Lake Country.
I truly enjoy being a part of this community and helping others along the way. Prior to real estate, I was an Office Supervisor for the City of Waukesha Park & Recreation Department. During this time, I had the opportunity to work with many business owners and serve the general public. It was there that I realized that it really does take a village to make a community great and each and every one of us plays an important role.
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