Some people identify Martin James Schreiber as Wisconsin’s 39th governor, serving in office from 1977 to 1979.
Others know him as an outspoken advocate for caregivers of loved ones diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Much of Governor Schreiber’s passion for the subject comes from his real-life caregiving story as his wife Elaine lived with the disease for 18 years before her death in 2022. His 2017 book My Two Elaines received nationwide attention at release for its poignant and candid dialogue on the day-to-day challenges of caring for someone who’s no longer their former self.
In many ways, his life could be characterized as a story of “two Marty’s”, the Marty of public service in the 70s and 80s, and the Marty who spent nearly two decades making his wife’s final years as meaningful and fruitful as possible.
Now nearly two years since her passing, Governor Schreiber and I sat down to discuss his life post-Elaine, who he says he misses dearly every day.
“I’m just am grateful that we had the life that we did,” Schreiber said when reflecting on his 61-year marriage which followed a romance that began during their days at Milwaukee’s Lutheran High School in 1953. “In a way, I was relieved for her that she would no longer have to carry on in the situation that she was in.”
Over the course of their marriage, before and after Elaine’s diagnosis in 2005, Governor Schreiber learned a lot about caregiving from the woman he would assist for nearly 20 years. Governor Schreiber shared with me the lessons he took away during a particularly troubling time for both of them, as he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma just two years after Elaine learned she had Alzheimer’s.
“I began to understand how I could help us [both] live our best lives possible.”
As for reflecting on his legacy while contemplating everything he’s experienced in his 84 years, Governor Schreiber says above all else, he takes the most pride in hearing people’s caregiving journey was impacted by My Two Elaines.
“I feel like I’ve just hit a hole in one; that’s how I feel when I talk to people and they tell me the book has been helpful to them, or when I talk to a group of people and someone might share what they are going through and [the book] made a difference in their life.”
You can hear my full conversation with Governor Schreiber here:
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