Elizabeth Wester Muzzy
April 19, 1928 - May 12, 2016
Obituary
Elizabeth Wester Muzzy, 88, passed away on Thursday, May 12, 2016 at Oakwood Village University Woods, Madison, Wisc. Born April 19, 1928 in Marshalltown, Ia., to Reuben Axel and Gertrude Theoren (Hazen) Wester, she graduated from Marshalltown High School in 1946, attended Wellesley College (B.A., 1950) and University of Iowa (M.A., 1955), and studied in Vienna, Austria as a Fulbright scholar. A lifelong music educator and performer, she taught strings at public schools in Austin, Minn., Cedar Rapids, Ia., Fort Wayne, Ind., and Madison, conducting the La Follette High School Orchestra. She played violin and viola in the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra (now Orchestra Iowa), Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Madison Symphony Orchestra, several community orchestras in the Cincinnati area, and the Mnemosyne String Quartet of Madison. She also sang in church choirs wherever she was a member. She married Arthur Henry Wulfsberg on Nov. 23, 1957, and together they lovingly raised a family of five children. She passed on her love of music, crafts and the outdoors to her family, encouraging her children and grandchildren to play instruments and leading a Girl Scout troop. Arthur passed away in 1982. On October 2, 1993, Elizabeth married a high school classmate, Conrad Norman Muzzy, and moved to Cincinnati. They traveled extensively in their retirement, visiting family and participating in educational programs. In 2012 they moved to Madison, and Conrad died in 2013. Her quiet fortitude, intelligence and humor were strengths that served her family throughout her life. She was present to the moment and the people around her and generously shared her gifts of music, storytelling, writing and appreciation with others. She is survived by her sister, Dr. Mary Ruth Reardon of Haverford, Pa.; four children, Rolf (Susan) Wulfsberg of Madison, Carolyn (Lucian) Giordano of Danbury, Conn., Kristin (Eric) Moore of West Concord, Mass., and Eric (Heather) Wulfsberg of Minneapolis; and six grandchildren, Joanna Giordano, Margaret Wulfsberg, Victoria Giordano, Ava Moore, Nils Wulfsberg and Isabella Wulfsberg. Preceding her in death were her sister, Nancy Beckett and daughter, Joanna. A funeral service will be held at LUTHER MEMORIAL CHURCH, 1021 University Avenue, Madison, at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 21, 2016. Burial will be in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Visitation will be held at the church from 9 a.m. until the time of service with a luncheon to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Madison Symphony Orchestra or Luther Memorial Church.
Events
Visitation
Sat May 21, 2016 @ 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM CDT
Luther Memorial Church (Madison) • 1021 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53715
Service
Sat May 21, 2016 @ 10:00 AM CDT
Luther Memorial Church (Madison) • 1021 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53715
Photos
Memories
RW
Rolf Wulfsberg
Other •
Under Lutheran Campus Center or under Grainger Hall. Surface lots 45 and 55 are open to public on Saturday.
EV
Elaine Varland
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Both the Scandinavian Scribblers and the Scandinavian Readers of Cincinnati were privileged to have Elizabeth as a loyal, contributing member of our groups for several years. Her writing charmed us, and it was a great loss to us when she and Conrad moved to Madison. Elaine Varland
S
Susan
Other •
She was my neighbor across the street in Cedar Rapids. Her husband worked with my father. My older sister babysat. She was out mother's friend and her daughter Joanna was my best friend. She gave me a recent family photo to bring with me as my family moved back to Dallas and told me to keep it always as I was one of few who knew her daughter and would remember her. We used to play in the wooded creek of my back yard and call ourselves the Wolf and the Fox and the creek Honeysuckle Creek. She encouraged us to be imaginative and musical. She was a wonderful person. I ended up playing cello in junior symphony in Dallas and then San Francisco area. I went to Wellesley as did my sister who babysat. My sister was a gifted violinist and pianist. All inspired by Mrs Wulfsberg. I made several promises as a young almost 5 year old to her that I would never forget my friend, her daughter and I would keep the photo and I would never go in a small plane. I never have. Attaching photo.