Jeanne Boydston

Boydston, Jeanne MADISON Jeanne Boydston died on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008, at the Don and Marilyn Anderson HospiceCare Center after a valiant battle against the ravages of lung cancer. She was surrounded by family members, friends, and loved ones during the last weeks of her life, all of whom felt especially comforted by the gentle and caring ways of the hospice staff. We thank them for their exceptional service and for the opportunity to spend a lovely sunny afternoon on the patio with Jeanne by our side on the day before she voted for Barack Obama and died peacefully shortly thereafter. Jeanne was born Dec. 15, 1944 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the only daughter of Donnell and Juanita (Laymance) Boydston. Jeanne's family, including her brothers, James and Robert, migrated east and then south following her father's work as an engineer overseeing the construction of gas and oil pipelines. She completed undergraduate and graduate degrees in English at the University of Tennessee and subsequently earned a Ph.D. in American Studies at Yale University in 1984. At the time of her death, Jeanne was the Robinson-Edwards Professor of American History in the History Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She joined the faculty in 1988 and over the course of her career distinguished herself as an outstanding teacher, a gifted scholar, a skilled administrator, and a friend and mentor to many. Jeanne is survived by many friends and loved ones, including Joy Newmann, her loving partner for almost 20 years; Joy's children, David and Julie, their partners, Laura and Dean; and four lovely grandchildren, Emma, Joe, Grace and Charlotte. Jeanne is also survived by her younger brother, Robert, and his wife, Camille; her sister-in-law, Sue; and James and Sue's three children and their families, including Robert J. and Brenda and their sons, Alex and Sam; Lauren and Brett and their daughter, Leila; and Robyn and Anthony. Jeanne is preceded in death by her parents; and her older brother, James. We invite you to join our families and friends for a memorial service for Jeanne, which will be held in the EVJUE COMMONS AT OLBRICH BOTANICAL GARDENS, 3330 Atwood Ave., Madison on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008 from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, we encourage donations to the Don and Marilyn Anderson HospiceCare Center. A university service will follow in the spring, along with opportunities to donate to a scholarship fund in Jeanne's name.