Obituaries

Editor’s note: Lt. Col. Morris taught ROTC at UW-Whitewater from 1969-1972.

Funeral service for Lieutenant Colonel (US Army Retired) Charles “Tom” Morris 84, of Anniston, will be held at First Baptist Church of Saks where he and Carolyn have been members for nearly 40 years, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 4:00 pm. The family will receive friends from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm. Burial will take place in Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo.

Our family would like to announce to our friends and loved ones the passing of a beloved father, husband, and grandaddy. Tom passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on Saturday, March 15, 2025.

Tom was born in Valdosta, GA on March 2, 1941. He earned a BS degree from Furman University in Greenville, SC and an MBA from Central Florida. He served in the United States Army for 24 years and served a tour in Vietnam. Tom’s military awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and Senior Parachutists’ Badge with 124 jumps.

After Tom graduated from Furman, prior to being in the military service, he traveled with the 1963 Hootenanny Tour. Playing the guitar and singing was a passion all his life. Tom had a hobby business of building control line model airplanes. He competed in many control line events. He was elected to the Precision Aerobatics Model Pilot Association Hall of Fame. Gardening and woodworking were also lifelong hobbies. Tom’s legacy of faith, kindness, strength and quick wit will forever be cherished by his family, friends and all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Tom is survived by his loving wife of almost 60 years, Carolyn Morris; children, Scott (Michelle) Morris and Karen (Ted) Turgeon; along with his beloved grandsons, Evan, Landon, Christian, and Matthew.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to First Baptist Saks Christian Life Center at 4723 Saks Road Anniston, AL 36206

Sign Lieutenant Colonel Charles Morris‘s Guest Book

Clarence Everett Hansen, Jr. (Bud), 87, passed away on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at his family home in LaGrange, WI at 1:30 PM. Bud was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on December 6, 1937, to Clarence Hansen Sr. and Ruth (Dalson) Hansen and was baptized at Bethlehem Church in Milwaukee.

Bud graduated from Lutheran High School in Milwaukee on June 9, 1955. Following high school, Bud enlisted in the US Army and was a light weapons specialist and sharpshooter. He was stationed in Germany and upon honorable discharge, served in the Army Reserves until 1962. Bud married his wife, of 63 years, Faith, on September 6. They moved to Little Prairie, WI and owned and ran the Twin Oaks Bar for 5 years before moving to LaGrange, WI and beginning work at Colt Industries (Trent Tube) in East Troy, WI. Bud retired from there after working over 30 years. In retirement Bud spent much of his time fishing, golfing, gambling, and following the Packers and Brewers. He was also a member of First English Lutheran Church in Whitewater.

Bud was preceded in death by his wife, Faith, (May 19, 2025); father, Clarence and mother, Ruth; brother, Teddy; and son, Todd. He is survived by his daughter, Tracey Hansen; and sons, Troy and Tyler Hansen; daughter-in-law, Sue Hansen (Todd); his sister, Darleen Savatski; grandchildren, Jamie, Jennifer, Abby, Ryan, Katelyn, McKenzie, Addison, Eliza, Kassity, Karlye, Carsyn, Camdyn, and 22 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be at First English Lutheran Church in Whitewater at 11:00 AM, Saturday, June 7, 2025, with his and Faith’s service to follow at 12:00 Noon. A luncheon will be held at the church after the service.

In place of flowers, Bud would like donations to the Lauderdale LaGrange Rescue and Fire Department.

Edward (Ed) Geske passed away to the Great Workshop in the Sky on May 25, 2025, due to years of severe infections of the urinary tract.

Edward E. Geske was born on Thanksgiving Day to Elmer and Alice McMillan Geske on November 25, 1943 at the family home in Crystal Lake, Illinois. He was accompanied by his twin sister, Marjorie, on this momentous occasion. Edward’s siblings are: Nancy
(Tom) Trewyn, Arlene (Richard) Trewyn, Marjorie Petska, Susan (Gordy) Gimiski, Ray (Patti) Geske, and Mary (Gale) Smith.
 
Ed grew up and attended elementary school in Lima Center, WI, later graduating from Whitewater High School. He married Virginia Hitchcock in 1962 and began dairy farming for the next 10 years. He then grew into the construction of homes and businesses for the next 50 years, able to do anything connected to the job, learning and perfecting his trade as he went. Ed married Linda Wadsworth in 2006, and they worked side by side building a relationship through strenuous work, cooking, travel, and family gatherings.
 
Ed’s hobbies included vegetable farming and was famous for his entire family processing/freezing gallons of home-raised sweet corn. Fishing up north in Wisconsin and Canora, Ontario were favorites, and later, traveling throughout the United States and Canada with Linda were eye-opening to the fantastic scenery seen. Many winters were spent in Green Valley, AZ for a few months with Arlene and Dick Trewyn.
 
Ed is survived by his wife, Linda; children, Brenda (Bill) Holz, Robert (Dawn) Geske, and stepson, Barry (Sara) Wadsworth. Grandchildren are Justin (Andrea) Geske, Billy (Maddy) Holz, Jerott (Kayla) Holz, Jada (Mack) Miller, Ashlyn, Brielyn, and Ivy Wadsworth, and Ethan and Lily Kendall. Great grandchildren include Sawyer, Maybelle, Liam, and Abigail Geske, Mason Ed Holz, plus numerous nieces and nephews.
 
A visitation will be held at First English Lutheran Church in Whitewater, WI on June 28, 2025, from 10:00 AM until the time of the memorial service at 11:00 AM. Nitardy Funeral Home in Whitewater will also be serving the family. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made out to First English Lutheran Church.

Irv A. Madsen, 86, Whitewater, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, March 02, 2025.

He was born in Askov, MN on May 20, 1938, to Ludvig and Augusta Madsen.

Irv graduated from Amery High School in 1956 and received his Bachelor’s Degree from UW-Whitewater in 1960 and his Master’s Degree from UW-Madison in 1965.  He began his career teaching Business Education at Milton High School and then moved to UW-Whitewater to become the Director of Admissions for 42 years.  During his time at UW-Whitewater he coached Women’s Softball, announced Football games for 50 years and was “the voice of the Warhawks,” as well as announced basketball games.

He married Sandy (Fisher) Madsen at 1^st English Lutheran Church in Whitewater on August 6, 1960.

Irv loved golfing, playing tennis, riding his bicycle, playing cards with friends, and sports!  He loved his Wisconsin Teams – the Bucks, Brewers and Badgers, but most of all, he “bled” Purple for his UW-Whitewater Warhawks! 

He is survived by his 3 daughters, Jodi (Jim) Stoppenbach, Terri (Brad) Stallings, Cyndee (Kent) Kelsey, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, brother Mel, sisters-in-law Karen Fisher, Pam Fisher, Sandy Madsen, Nancy Madsen, Eleanor Madsen, Barb Madsen, Pat Madsen, Shirley Madsen and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Sandy Madsen, his parents, and 6 other brothers.

The family is so grateful for “Team Irv”!  The excellent care from Nicole Gosh, Jim Mildenstein, Nikki Mildenstein, Allison Seitz and all of the past caregivers (Evie, Jackson, Nellie, Mary Kay, Vicki and Steve) and best friends Marilyn and Jack Albrecht is so very much appreciated!

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 31, 2025 from 1:00-5:00 pm at the Coulthart Pavillion located outside the Perkins Stadium on the UW-Whitewater Campus.

Memorials may be given to 1^st English Lutheran Church, UW-Whitewater Athletics or the Madsen Family Scholarship at UW-Whitewater (Select “Madsen Family Endowed Scholarship” from the drop down) or Rainbow Hospice in honor of Irv. We would also like to thank Rainbow Hospice and Nitardy Funeral Home for their assistance and care.

Faith Ann Hansen, 83, passed away on the evening of Monday, May 19th at Alden Estates in Jefferson, Wisconsin. She was born on April 20th, 1942, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the daughter of Donald Hansen and Doris (Ceel) Hansen.

Faith graduated from Brookfield Central High School. Following high school she married Clarence (Bud) Hansen, Jr. and owned and ran the Twin Oaks Inn bar in Little Prairie, WI. Faith then worked at the Lakeland Nursing Home for over 30 years, while there earning her nursing degree from MATC in 1992. She was a member of First English Lutheran Church in Whitewater and volunteered there in retirement to help with the thrift shop and to counsel those on hospice. She also volunteered at Capabilities Day Program for disabled and mentally ill adults, teaching sewing and cooking classes.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her son, Todd; and brother, Scott. She is survived by her husband, Clarence (Bud); daughter, Tracey Hansen; sons: Troy Hansen and Tyler Hansen; daughter-in-law, Susan Hansen (Todd); siblings: Chris Griep, Joy Hansen, Tom (Lesia) Hansen, Michelle (Scott) Hansen, 12 grandchildren: Jaimie, Jennifer, Abby, Ryan, Katelyn, McKenzie, Addison, Eliza, Kassity, Karlye, Carsyn, and Camdyn; and 22 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held at First English Lutheran Church, 401 W. Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190, on Saturday, June 7th from 11:00 AM until the time of the service at 12:00 Noon.

In lieu of flowers, Faith asks that donations be made to the Lauderdale LaGrange Rescue and Fire Department.

Ann S. Eckert, 85, of Port Charlotte, FL, died on Monday, April 7, 2025, at Advent Hospital in Port Charlotte, FL. She was born in Madison, WI, on October 16, 1939. Ann was the only child of Clifford and Virginia Peterson.

Ann was married for 65 years to Rev. Jerry Eckert. They had two children, David and Karen.

Ann was a 1957 graduate of New London High School and earned her BS degree at Texas Women’s University in Denton, TX, in 1961 with a major in home economics education. She taught a year in Seagoville, TX, and a part of a year in Beloit, WI. She earned a Masters Degree in College Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1984. She was Associate Director of Records at the University of New Orleans (1985-1990) and Registrar at Carroll College, Waukesha, WI, 1990-1995. The Eckerts both retired in 1995 and returned to the New Orleans area. To care for her mother, they moved to Port Charlotte, FL in 2003 where they lived until entering a life care facility in 2022.

Ann enjoyed music, playing the clarinet, piano, and guitar; playing in high school and university pep bands; participating in bell choirs; and singing in church and community choirs.

She grew up in the Methodist Church in Montfort, WI. She had to change her membership many times as a pastor’s wife but was able to have significant time in the United Methodist Church (UMC) of Whitewater, WI; Aldersgate UMC in Slidell, LA; and Gulf Cove UMC in Port Charlotte, FL.

Ann is survived by her husband Jerry; her son David, his wife Sachiko, and grandson Enzo; her daughter, Karen, her husband Peter Jest, and granddaughter Elise who is married to Michael (MJ) Carvan; and many caring friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents Clifford and Virginia Peterson.

Instead of flowers, the family invites everyone interested to send a donation to the Morton Cure Paralysis Foundation (5021 Vernon Ave S, MN 55436, or MCPF.org) in her memory. Also, Ann understood how others might send a donation to a charity of their own choice in her name. She would have been honored by that gesture as well.

There will be a graveside service on August 2, 2025, at 3:30 pm for family and friends at Hill Crest Cemetery, Montfort, WI, followed by lunch and visitation at the Cottonwood Supper Club, 4716 Green River Road, Fennimore, WI. RSVP to aj_eckert@hotmail.com or to Rev. Jerry Eckert, 23013 Westchester Blvd. #358, Punta Gorda, FL 33980.

Robert (Bob) John O’Hara, a cherished member of our family and friends, passed away May 19, 2025. Bob was born September 14, 1956, to Charlotte Anna (Wallack) Lewers and Robert James O’Hara. Bob grew up in Elk Grove Village, IL and graduated from Elk Grove High School in 1974. He relocated to Whitewater, WI in 1986 and worked various warehouse distribution positions and ended his career as a manager.

   A significant life event occurred in 1998 when his precious daughter, Kelly Lynd O’Hara, was born. Kelly was an important focus of his life and he enjoyed watching her grow and mature into a beautiful young woman. 

   Bob was a faithful son to his mother and a good friend. His love language was acts of service and enjoyed helping his family, friends, and neighbors. Bob was a member of the UW-Whitewater Quarterback Club and enjoyed supporting the team and socializing with friends. He loved to cook and enjoyed boating on Whitewater Lake.

     Bob is survived by his lovely daughter, Kelly Lynd O’Hara; mother, Charlotte Lewers; brother, Ronald (Mary Stewart) O’Hara; sister Dawn (Paul) Klingler; nieces and nephews, Alex Roelli, Sarah Robertson, Hannah O’Hara, Meaghan O’Hara, Shawn
Klingler; sister and brother-in-law, Kathy and Steve Roelli.

     Bob’s life will be honored Saturday, May 24, 2025, at the First United Methodist Church, 145 S. Prairie Street, Whitewater, WI
Visitation: 9:30-11:00 AM. Service: 11:00 AM with church luncheon following the service. 

    The family would like to thank all the family and friends that helped and visited Bob during his illness. Thank you to Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center and Aurora Zilber Family Hospice for his care.

     “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” Abraham Lincoln

BRADLEY TERESA ANN

Teresa Ann Bradley, age 84, of Yankton, SD passed away Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at Avera Sister James Care Center, Yankton, SD.  Memorial service will be 10:30 am Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Yankton with Fr. Thi Pham officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Onsite Crematory is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be sent at www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com.

Teresa Ann was born in Chicago, Illinois, November 23,1940, to Paul and Hildegard (Weinandt) Bradley. She lived on a 5-acre farm in what is now a suburb of Chicago.  In 1952, she, her parents, and younger sister, moved to an 80-acre dairy farm a few miles outside a college town, Whitewater, Wisconsin.  In 1953, a milestone year in baseball history, the Boston Braves moved their team to Milwaukee, and Teresa became an ardent baseball fan.  Her family went to several games in Milwaukee, sitting in the right field bleachers, watching some of the greatest players in that era of baseball: Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn and Eddie Mathews.  The Braves became the Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee team became the Brewers, but well into her declining years Teresa was still reading biographies of the remarkable men she’d grown up watching!

Teresa attended St. Joseph’s Catholic Grade School for 2 years in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, and then went to Whitewater High School, which she graduated from in 1958.  After high school, she worked for many years in the cafeteria of Whitewater Teachers College, which became the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater.  

When her mother and father retired from farming to live in Canon City, Colorado, Teresa moved into an apartment in Whitewater.  After her father died in 1994, Teresa’s mother moved to Yankton, SD to be close to her sisters and brothers in the area. Teresa moved to Yankton after her retirement from the University to care for her mother.  Teresa enjoyed being close in location to her many relatives in that area.

After her move to Yankton, Teresa was active volunteering in the gift shop at Sacred Heart Hospital, a member of Catholic Daughters, and an information and ‘sales lady’ at the Nebraska overlook south of Yankton. She enjoyed meeting people and hearing their stories, as well as telling some of her own!

Teresa was close to many friends and relatives, maintaining contact with them whether they were in Yankton, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, or scattered all around the country. She always was excited to hear of the birth of a new family member, and remembered their names, sometimes reminding the grandparents of upcoming birthdays!  Her family and friends will miss the birthday phone calls and the Brewers/Braves updates.

Teresa had physical balance issues all her life due to complications during her birth.  When she was unable to stay in her apartment at Lincoln Arms, she moved to Walnut Village, and finally to Majestic Bluffs in Yankton.  She passed away February 5, 2025 at the age of 84 due to complications from influenza. 

Teresa is survived by her sister, Kate Bradley of Sammamish, WA, many Weinandt and Bradley cousins, as well as her lifelong and Yankton friends.  Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her.  You are greatly missed, sweetheart.