Mary E. Hamilton,

Hamilton, Mary Elizabeth MADISON-Mary Elizabeth Hamilton passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 11, 2011, at Oak Park Memory Care Center in Madison. Mary was born on April 17, 1925 in Coats, Kan. She graduated from Coats High School and attended Kansas State University-Emporia (Teachers School), where she met her future husband, Gail Hamilton, on a bus ride back home from college. They were married on December 29, 1945, when Gail returned from the Marines. They started their family in Kansas, before moving to the state of Washington, for Gail's job. Mary attended Central Washington University. They then moved to Madison, then to Monona, Wisc in 1965. Here Mary completed her studies at UW-Whitewater, and began her teaching career in Marshall, teaching fourth grade. At the same time, she was raising her children. Mary then went to Falk School (when it opened) on Madison's west side, where she continued her teaching career until retirement in 1990. Gail and Mary retired to Mesa, Ariz. which she loved, until her health brought her back to Madison in 2005. She loved working in the kitchen and was a wonderful cook and baker. She was famous for her Sunday after church lunches and desserts. She was an avid reader and active in her church. She loved to garden, entertain, travel and the Green Bay Packers. Mary will be missed by her children, Kathryn Hamilton of Grandview, Wash.; sons, Lynn (Susan) Hamilton of Cottage Grove, and Scott (Cathy) Hamilton of McFarland; sisters, Doris, Charlene and Louise; brother, Charles; grandchildren, Kelly (Bobby) Shultz, Kori (Matt) Hamilton, Trevor (Sandra) Dickie, Rachelle (Jim) Macur, and Matthew and Rebecca Hamilton; and 9 great-grandchildren. Mary was preceded in death by her loving husband of 53 years, Gail; an infant son; her parents; sister, Bernice Coe; and brother-in-law, Harold Norris. She will be laid to rest next to her loving husband and his parents at a later date in Kansas. Memorial may be made in Mary's name to HospiceCare, Inc. of Madison. The family would like to thank the staff at Oak Park Place (Memory Care Unit) for the care of Mary during her stay there. Say hi to dad, mom...we'll miss you. Cemetery: She will be laid to rest next to her loving husband and his parents at a later date in Kansas.