Obituary: Donald A. Wendt

MADISON-Donald A. Wendt was born March 29, 1920, to Anna and Ted Wendt in Marshfield. He died July 24, 2008, at his home at Oakwood Village West. Don grew up in Marshfield with his sisters Betty and Ruth and his brothers Bill and Ted. He played baseball, worked on his grandparents' farm and just generally enjoyed his boyhood growing up in Marshfield. He graduated from Marshfield's McKinley High School in 1938 and enrolled in the Business Institute of Milwaukee. He was drafted into the U.S. Army (March 29, 1942) and after a brief educational deferment he enlisted in the Army and began his military training at Camp Swift, Texas. After serving in the Military Police and promotions to corporal and sergeant, he was appointed to Officer's Candidate School at Fort Benning, Ga. He received his commission as a second lieutenant and was assigned as a platoon leader with the 90th Division. He participated in the Normandy invasion, landing on Utah Beach June 6, 1944. After his platoon participated intaking the towns of Chef du Mont and Picauville, Don was seriously wounded by a mortar round near St. Mere Eglise on June 11. He survived his wounds thanks to excellent battlefield medical care and received the Purple Heart Medal. After recovering from his wounds, he was assigned to non-combat positions in England and France until the end of the war. He was extremely proud of his participation in The Greatest Generation. He married fellow Marshfield native Alta M. Kuethe in August 1946 in the chapel at Luther Memorial Church in Madison. Don earned his bachelor of science degree in American Institutions from the University of Wisconsin on the G.I. Bill and then taught at Oshkosh Senior High for two years. He was called for active duty in Korea but failed his military physical due to his war wounds. Don moved his family from Oshkosh to Madison in 1952, where he taught at Central High School for 11 years. While teaching, he earned his master of science degree in educational administration at the UW-Madison. He was appointed an assistant principal and later a grade principal at LaFollette High School in Madison and served in those positions for 17 years. As a teacher and administrator he also served as the executive director of the Wisconsin Association of Student Councils for more than a decade, organizing and leading dozens of leadership workshops in Wisconsin and around the country under the auspices of the National Association of Student Councils, and serving as a mentor to countless students and fledgling youth leaders. In June 1980, he retired after 30 years in the field of education. Don enjoyed a wonderful retirement traveling, golfing, and spending time with his children and grandchildren. During his retirement years he served for nearly two decades as president of the Madison Area Retiree Golf Association (MARGA). He and Alta delivered Meals on Wheels for many years and Don continued on after Alta's death in 2003 until 2007. He worked part-time at Oakwood Village West driving the bus and taking residents on various outings. He was recognized in 1999 for his efforts as the first runner-up for the Dane County Older Worker of the Year Award. He continued to be involved in the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators. Don was outgoing and enjoyed life to its fullest with a sense of humor and a deep devotion to family and friends. He was a man of deep and abiding faith and he and Alta were longtime members of Luther Memorial Church where Don served several terms as council president and in various other leadership positions. Don is survived by his son, Keith (Linda) of Waunakee; daughter, Gail (John Conforti) of Fairfax, Va.; granddaughters, Jennifer (Jay) Bjorklund of Westby, and Holly (Aaron) Crowser of Chippewa Falls; grandson, Josh (Beth) Wendt of Madison; great-grandchildren, Luke and Zachary Bjorklund, Andrew and Grace Crowser, and Josie Wendt; his brother, Ted (Margaret) of Louisville, Ky.; and brother-in-law, Gerald Beauchaine of Madison. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Alta; his brother, Bill; and sisters, Betty (Trierweiler) and Ruth (Beauchaine). He also had two stepgranddaughters, Heather (Roger) Nowakowski and Allison (Scott) Lynn of Aldie, Va., and their children Emma and Roger Jr. Nowakowski and Rachel Lynn. A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30, 2008, at LUTHER MEMORIAL CHURCH, 1021 University Ave., Madison, with Pastor Brad Pohlman officiating. Burial will take place at Hillside Cemetery in Marshfield and at the Columbarium in Luther Memorial Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in Don's name to Luther Memorial Church or The Oakwood Foundation.Cress Funeral & Cremation Service 3610 Speedway Road (608) 238-3434

Originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal on July 29, 2008

Obituary: Marie Garness

MADISON - Marie Helen Garness was born Sept. 22, 1939, in Fond du Lac, the only child of Hart and Cecilia Urban Garness. As a child she studied music, playing the piano and cello. Her favorite was the trumpet, playing along with Harry James and Louis Armstrong records. She spent long happy summers on the family farm in Wild Rose, playing alongside her many cousins. She graduated from Goodrich High School in Fond du Lac, in 1957, and came to Madison to attend the University of Wisconsin. She was president of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and was involved with music and theater on campus, working for several years on Humorology, the student-produced comedy review. For Marie, being a teacher was not her job, it was her identity. Her first assignment as an English teacher was at Central High School in Madison. She considered it one of the happiest times of her life. Recently she attended a reunion of some of her Central High students. When Central closed in 1969, she transferred to West High, and then to Memorial High School, where she taught until her retirement in 1989. Everywhere she taught, she loved working on the staging and directing of musicals, working until she was exhausted on productions of Mame, Annie Get Your Gun, Pippin and many others. She brought her love of musicals and films to the classroom and introduced film units into the high school English curriculum. When she retired, Marie could still remember the name of almost every student she had ever taught. She adored movies of all kinds, but was especially fond of musicals. She was a long time devoted Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli fan. She loved crossword puzzles, cooking, gardening, basking in the sun, reading, especially mysteries, and floating in her swimming pool. She loved meeting new people and figuring out what made them tick. She enjoyed travel, though it was difficult for her, and had made several trips to New York City. She had planned many trips including the South Carolina sea islands and even China and Africa, but was never able to go. Marie had endured breast cancer and very proudly wore her seven year survivor pin. Her numerous friends, former students, fellow teachers and dedicated medical providers will remember the best things about her: the intense spark of her creativity, enthusiasm and wit, her generous nature, and her compassion and concern for others. Marie suffered her entire adult life with bipolar depression and other aspects of mental illness. Over time her illness made her world smaller and more difficult, made relationships with friends and family increasingly difficult, took away her ability to do things she loved and burdened her daily life with numerous obstacles. After a life long struggle with mental illness, she ended her own life on Sunday, Aug. 12, 2007. Many who knew Marie have said that they feel guilt or regret for not being able to help her, wishing they had done more. A fitting tribute to Marie would be to channel those regrets into something positive by helping out as you can, do a kindness for a friend, a neighbor or even a stranger. Friends, colleagues, and former students are invited to share in the celebration of Marie's life on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2007, from 4 p.m to 6 p.m. at the OAKWOOD RETIREMENT CENTER - WEST, 5205 Mineral Point Road. Please enter the main entrance of the Heritage Building.

Originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal on September 23, 2007

Update: Notes from the celebration of Marie's life on October 3, 2007:


The photo on the left is a photo of some of the many photos of Marie's life and career as a teacher than were on display at the celebration of her life. I'll be adding some more photos from the display, as well as some photographs of some of the people who attended the celebration to the Central Alumni Flickr account.

Susan Brockett (Class of 1967) was unable to attend the celebration, but she did write something to be read on her behalf. I'm reproducing Susan's essay about Marie, since it certainly addresses the fond feelings she and many of her classmates had for a teacher who touched their lives in meaningful and unexpected ways:

Here I am, 43 years later, writing something because of Marie Garness. The former time is vivid for me.

Sophomore year. I wrote a piece on To Kill a Mockingbird, and I tried to do more than "enough", I tried to excel. Marie read it, perceived what I was trying to do, and told me I owed it to myself to work at my writing, but then she went a step further, as only she could have. She said that if a I wrote a journal, she would too, and we could compare. I was amazed and inspired – a teacher inviting me into the adult world, treating me as an adult, and expecting me to rise to the situation. I have no idea how many times I have told this story to people I have met, to give them an idea of what wonderful teachers I had, and Miss Garness was one of the best.

That was who Maudie Garness was for me – a teacher, but also a person – an adult who was willing to invite us, her students, into her world and treat us as adults. There are so many other memories:

• The times a bunch of us just stopped by her house on a Friday or Saturday evening…uninvited, just to say hi. And she invited us in, sat and talked, and treated us as she would any friends who stopped in.

• the play, where she was a central pivot of the whole team, teaching us the joy of creation, of teamwork and hard work, and the satisfaction of a job well done.

These are the pictures that come to min mind, as I try to share in your memorial, although I can't be there…

• Marie, standing in row 3, yelling "entrance stage right!", gesturing up at the stage in the old, dusty, brown auditorium.

• Marie on stage, playing jazz on her trumpet, with Mr. Schenk on the piano. Shocking us all that teachers could be so COOL.

• Marie laughing in her living room, at one of Sid Iwanter's routines.

…and Marie talking with us all a the reunion and picnic so recently, helping us retain a link to who we were 40 years ago, and maybe helping us see who we are now.

We must all acknowledge the pain she lived with and that caused her to decide that she had had enough,

But even more, we need to remember the life she lived, and the lives she touched.

– Susan Brockett (or as Maudie would say, Brocksy)

Obituary: Frank C. Lindl

MADISON - Frank C. Lindl, age 85, died on Tuesday, June 5, 2007, at his home. He was born in Milwaukee, Aug. 30, 1921, the son of Frank and Julia (Wimmer) Lindl. He attended Riverside High School. After the attack on Pearl Harbor he volunteered to go into the U.S. Army. After training he was sent down to safeguard the Panama Canal and was the Post Sergeant Major for four years. After returning home he was among the G.I.'s who swarmed the campus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Frank earned his master's degree in art education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in 1949 and pursued a teaching career. He taught at Madison Area Technical College and was in the Madison School District for 39 years. He taught at Central High School, started the Art Department at Lafollette High School, was assistant principal at West High School and ended his career as Fine Arts Coordinator. Frank enjoyed coaching football, wrestling and tennis. He was an avid gardener and enjoyed sharing his produce with friends, family and neighbors. Frank was noted for his tomatoes, fruit trees, wine, cooking, picture framing and his humor. He was a founding member of St. Maria Goretti Church and Friendship Force of Wisconsin. Survivors include his wife, whom he married 60 years ago, Margo; his children, Dennis (Yvonne), Beth Lindl (David Drake), Barbara DeJongh (Kurt) and John (Cyndi); grandchildren, Bryan, Abbie, Rachel and Molly; and two sisters, Anita and Betty. He was preceded in death by two sons, David and Jamie. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at ST. MARIA GORETTI CATHOLIC CHURCH, 5313 Flad Ave., Madison, on Friday, June 8, 2007, at 11 a.m. Monsignor Michael Burke will officiate with burial in Resurrection Cemetery. Friends and relatives may call from 9:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the church on Friday. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to HospiceCare, Friendship Force of Wisconsin, St. Maria Goretti Parish and Parkinson's research. A special thanks to caregivers, So and Dave and all of the people at HospiceCare. Joyce-Ryan Funeral Home and Cremation Services 5701 Odana Road (608) 274-1000

Originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal on June 7, 2007