Ada Zentner

WAUNAKEE/MIDDLETON. Ada Yvonne (Duschak) Zentner, age 91, passed away on Tuesday, May 13, 2014, peacefully with her four children by her bedside. Ada Zentner was born September 17, 1922 in North Freedom, Wis. Ada attended grade school in North Freedom and high school in both Middleton and Baraboo as her family moved around. When she was 18, she married George A Duschak. The couple had four children together and raised their family in Middleton. Ada worked as a housewife until her children were in their teens and then went to work in retail. She later worked as a food service supervisor for the State for 12 years. The homestead in Middleton was the place for many family gatherings and special celebrations. Ada's passions included sewing, cooking, and later in life photography and fishing. She read many a cookbook over the years and prepared wonderful meals for family and friends. After 33 years Ada's and George's marriage dissolved. Ada met and married her second husband, Don Zentner, on January 2, 1978. Ada and Don spent their life together traveling and spending much of their retirement years at their summer cottage. They enjoyed fishing together and Ada continued to sew until she moved to assisted living at the Waunakee Manor. After a brief illness Ada transitioned to the Manor Nursing Home where she received compassionate and loving care from all the staff. Ada is survived by her four children, Barbara (Phillip) Broderick of Madison, Jack (Shirley) Duschak of Madison, Teresa (Michael) Duschak-Dosher of Madison, and Becky (Wendall ) Fenstermann of Brooklyn; five grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. She is further survived by her sister Jane Gunnison and four step children and their families. Ada was preceded in death by her parents Harold and Keitha Gunnison, her two husbands, George and Don, two brothers, one stepson. The family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the staff at the Waunakee Manor for their many years of support and care. There will be a private graveside service at Oak Hill Cemetery at a later date. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. And the children said: “You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates.” And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: “We cannot see her but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence.” Your Mother is always with you…She’s the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street; she is the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks; she’s the cool hand on your brow when you’re not feeling well. Your Mother lives inside your laughter. And she’s crystallized in every teardrop. She’s the place you came from, your first home; and she’s the map you follow with every step you take. She’s your first love and your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can separate you. Not time, not space…not even death! Written by Temple Bailey Gunderson West Funeral & Cremation Care 7435 University Avenue (608)831-6761