Jeanne Warzyn

Warzyn, Jeanne MADISON-Jeanne Warzyn, age 94, organist and choir director, composer and arranger of vocal solo, choral, organ and handbell music, died on Thursday, April 16, 2015, at the Agrace Hospice Center, after a brief illness. The daughter of Eugene and Loretta (Grimmer) Carroll, she graduated from Chippewa Falls High School in 1938 and received her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish degree from the University of Wisconsin on June 1, 1942. On the same day, she married Willard Warzyn who was to remain her husband for 71 years until his death in 2013. To advance her musicianship, she returned to the University of Wisconsin and earned her Master's Degree in Organ Performance in 1965. In 1948, she and her husband became charter members of Lake Edge Congregational Church (United Church of Christ) where she later became the church organist. She continued this service for 22 years, gave organ recitals in the surrounding area and provided free organ lessons for one deserving student per year through her organ scholarship. Several of her students continued their study of organ and became professional organists themselves. Her involvement at Lake Edge also included directing several children's choirs, a "Triple Trio" (a choir of 9 high school girls) and, later, the handbell choir – a position she held until she was 92 years old. When her husband retired from his business (Warzyn Engineering), they moved to rural Hollandale and built a tree farm. In Hollandale, she started a community handbell choir which performed throughout southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. After taking on the position of handbell choir director at Lake Edge church, they moved back to the Madison area and settled in Cottage Grove.  Although music was her main love, she also enjoyed sewing, craft projects and gardening. She passed these skills on, not only to her daughters, but also taught sewing to the girls in the neighborhood through the 4-H program – helping them win blue ribbons at the county and state fairs. Jeanne Warzyn is survived by her daughters, Carol (Loren) Berge of Albuquerque, NM., Judy Thorpe of Madison, Janet (William Kruse) Warzyn of Berkeley, Calif.; three grandchildren, Heather (Scott Thom) Thorpe of Madison, Reid (Cara) Thorpe of Chaska, Minn., and Geoff Berge of Ashburn, Va.; six great-grandchildren; her brother, Joseph Carroll of Victoria, Minn.; and sister, Suellen Carroll of Woodbury, Minn. She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her brother, Thomas Carroll; and son-in-law, Charles Thorpe. The family would like to extend a special thank you for the compassionate care that she received and the beautiful surroundings she was able to enjoy at Agrace HospiceCare. A "Celebration of Life" service will take place at LAKE EDGE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, 4200 Buckeye Road, Madison, at 11 a.m., on Saturday, April 25, 2015. Visitation will take place at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of the service on Saturday.  A reception will follow in the Fellowship Hall. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Warzyn-Thorpe Music Scholarship Fund, University of Wisconsin Foundation, 1848 University Ave., Madison, Wisconsin 53716, or to Agrace HospiceCare Foundation, 5395 East Cheryl Parkway, Madison, WI 53711. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.