Darlene Forsberg

FITCHBURG / BAILEYS HARBOR -- Darlene Forsberg, age 71, died of acute myeloid leukemia on Sunday, June 25, 2006, at the Don and Marilyn Anderson HospiceCare Center in Fitchburg, WI. Darlene was born to Earl and Kathleen McLeod in Rosetown, Saskatchewan, Canada, on November 21, 1934, and grew up on the family farm close to Bounty, Saskatchewan. She attended the one-room Glenhurst School through the 8th grade, and her children and grandchildren loved to hear the story of how Old Pearl the horse pulled their sleigh home from school during a blinding snow storm. Her high school education included homeschooling, correspondence courses and Rosetown High School. Her musical interests were inspired by her parents and Rosetown area piano teachers. Through her own initiative and counsel from friends she enrolled in the University of Wisconsin at Madison where she majored in music. One of her richest undergraduate experiences was serving on the UW Memorial Union Directorate as Chair of the Music Committee. She also served a term as president of Sigma Alpha Iota, a music fraternity. Following graduation in 1957 she was an elementary music teacher in the Madison School System serving Nakoma and Van Hise Schools. In 1958 she married Robert Forsberg, a graduate student in agronomy at UW Madison, and became a U.S. citizen shortly thereafter. During the next 10 years she devoted her energies to raising their family of two girls and two boys. For the next 25 years she operated her own piano studio in her home. Darlene was dedicated to her students, and her goal was to instill in them an appreciation of music that they could enjoy for the rest of their lives. She was an active member the Madison Area Piano Teachers? Association and served a term as their president. After retirement in 1994 Darlene and Bob moved permanently to Door County, WI, where Darlene served on the boards of the Door County Land Trust, Friends of Door County Libraries, and Neighbor to Neighbor. She was also a volunteer at Head Start. Darlene approached all of her many activities with diligence, a search for truth, and an uncanny ability to do what was right. She treated every person and viewpoint with respect and understanding, and she had great compassion for the elderly and the unfortunate. Darlene was preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Kathleen McLeod. She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Robert; two daughters, Jane (Mike) Torok in Bozeman, MT, and Karen (Scott) Pedersen in Eden Prairie, MN; two sons, Jim in Duluth, MN and Ken in Washington, D.C, grandchildren Tucker, Travis, and Tyler Torok and Logan, Cooper, Kylie, and Macy Pedersen. She is also survived by two sisters, Shirley (Lee) Bonnett in Surrey, British Columbia, and Erla (George) Krivoblocki in Calgary, Alberta, one brother, Stirling (Donna) McLeod in Olds, Alberta, and several nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank the medical and support staff of: Mayo Clinic and Rochester Methodist Hospital; Door County Memorial Hospital, especially the Emergency Room Outpatient nurses and staff; Aurora Clinic of Sturgeon Bay; and the Don and Marilyn Anderson Hospice Care Center. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 1, at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 4100 Nakoma Road, Madison, the Rev. Mary Jean Bartholomew officiating. Memorial services will also be held at Ephraim Moravian Church in Door County and in Calgary, Alberta at some future date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the following three funds: 1. Mayo Foundation (Leukemia Research); 200 First St. SW; Rochester, MN 55905; 2. University of Wisconsin Foundation (Wisconsin Memorial Union); PO Box 78807; Milwaukee, WI 53278-0807; or 3. University of Wisconsin Foundation (School of Music Undergraduate Scholarships); 3651 Humanities; 455 N. Park St; Madison, WI 53706. All Faiths Funeral & Cremation Services Madison (608)442-0477 allfaithsfuneralhome.net Attachments