Ruth A Wanek

Wanek, Ruth Anderson Finn MADISON– Ruth Anderson Finn Wanek, age 85, of Madison, passed away on Thursday, May 7, 2015, in Columbus, Wis. She was born on Aug. 12, 1929, in Madison, the daughter of A. Norman and Evalyn (Browne) Anderson. Ruth loved being a mother, wife, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She introduced her children and her grandchildren to the beauty of nature and made sure that her homes were in or near natural spaces in which children could run and explore freely and joyfully. Ruth sang beautifully and was a member of several church and community choirs. In her later years, she greatly enjoyed the Red Hat Society and enthusiastically embraced its exuberant philosophy. When her children were grown, Ruth returned to college to earn an Associate's Degree in commercial art. She was a long-time member of the Madison Art Guild and won many prizes for both her water colors and pen and ink drawings. Her family and friends particularly cherish her personality-capturing portraits of cats. Though they pursued differing artistic paths, several of Ruth's children and grandchildren inherited her talent and passion for art. Some of them have established successful careers in art and design. Of the traits that Ruth passed on to her family, love of cats and dogs figures prominently. Following Ruth's example, all family members have adopted cats and dogs who have needed homes. Ruth played a mean hand of euchre as does every child who learned the game from her. For many years, family gatherings were incomplete without the whoops, hollers, and laughter that occurred when the euchre hands were dealt and played out. Ruth is survived by her daughters, Sandra (Linda Yeager) Finn, Shelly (Wally) Hlaban and Connie (Gerry) Lovett; grandchildren, Seth (Lara) Curkeet, Ross Curkeet, Ellen (Glenn) Weaver, Wendy Rehborg, Joe (Lindsay) Schmitz, Erin (Kyle) Lovett-Sather and Michael Lovett; great-grandchildren, Aleks Curkeet, Noah Rehborg, Kira Rehborg and Serena Schmitz. She was preceded in death by her parents; son, Scott Anderson Finn; and former husbands, Willard Finn and Lawrence Wanek. Ruth is also survived by her life-long friend, Shirley Wallace. Funeral services will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, at 11 a.m., on Monday, May 11, 2015. Burial will be held at Sunset Memory Gardens. Visitation will be held at the funeral home from 10 a.m. until the time of the service on Monday. The family would like to express their thanks to the At Home Again staff in Columbus and the staff of Hillside Hospice of Beaver Dam for the care and compassion shown to Ruth and family members during the last year. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608)221-5420