Char

After a difficult couple of weeks, Gretchen's mom Char passed away late last night. The family is saddened but also relieved that her suffering is over. She was a wonderful person. I was going to try to come up with something clever, but words fail me, so instead here is her obituary that will appear in the local papers:

Charleen K., age 71, of Madison, passed away at home on Wednesday, July 28, 2004, six months after being diagnosed with cancer. She died as she lived, with faith and hope, finding joy in every day. Char was born in Milwaukee on July 6, 1933 to Arthur and Margaret (Drews) Brandt. She was raised in Neenah and graduated from UW-Oshkosh in 1955. She began her teaching career in Manitowoc, and later taught in Phoenix, AZ, where she completed her Masters degree. She returned to Wisconsin to teach kindergarten at Glendale Elementary School in Madison and, in 1963, married Richard K. While raising their two daughters, Char worked as a substitute teacher in the Madison public schools. She returned to the classroom full-time in 1985 as a first and second grade teacher at Midvale Elementary School, where she worked until her retirement in 1996. She was passionate about teaching and had a positive impact on the lives of many young children in Madison. Char was a long-time member of Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison. She loved to read and participated in a neighborhood book club for 30 years. She enjoyed spending time relaxing in the North Woods at the family cabin in Three Lakes, WI, and at their condo in Perdido Key, FL. Char was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Dick, with whom she enjoyed 39 years of marriage. She is survived by daughters Kristin (Thomas) of Elm Grove, WI and Gretchen (Kirk) of Basel, Switzerland, and by her three beloved grandchildren, Connor, Natalie, and Bennett Hanson of Elm Grove. She is also survived by a sister, Jan (Glen) Saeger, and many devoted friends. The family wishes to thank Char’s caregivers at University of Wisconsin Hospitals and HospiceCare Inc., especially Sheryl, Lori, and Kate, for their care, compassion, and support over the past two months. A special thank you as well to Pastors Katie Baardseth and Peter Narum and the staff at Bethel Lutheran Church for their guidance, inspiration, and prayers. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Bethel Endowment Foundation, 312 Wisconsin Avenue, Madison, WI 53703, or HospiceCare Inc., 5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Madison, WI 53711. Char was a special person who touched the lives of many people during her lifetime. She was patient, faithful, optimistic, loving, and nurturing. She was a strong, supportive, and caring mother who taught her daughters about love and devotion. Despite her retirement years being cut short first by Dick’s illness and then her own, Char taught her family to look for the good in every situation and to live each day to its fullest. She will be missed dearly. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 30, 2004, at BETHEL LUTHERAN CHURCH in Madison, with Pastor Katie Baardseth officiating. Visitation will be at the church one hour prior to the service Friday afternoon.