Barbara a. Larson

MADISON-Barbara A. Larson, age 83, of Madison, Wis., died Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020, at Monroe Clinic Hospice Home, in Monroe, Wis. She was a resident of Attic Angel in Middleton, Wis. Barbara suffered a recent stroke that led to her death. Barbara A. Larson was born on Aug. 28, 1936, in Chicago, Ill., the daughter of Kenneth and Esther Moraw. She attended primary and secondary school in and around Chicago. She went on to attend Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. It is there that she met her husband to be, Gerald L. Larson, of Rockford, Ill. The two were wed in Chicago in September of 1956. Barbara became a mother in March of 1958, with the birth of her first of four children, LeAnn. Todd, Dawn and Kurt arrived at various intervals up until 1968. Though Barbara did not graduate from Augustana, she did earn her undergraduate degree from Edgewood College in Madison in 1977. Barbara and Gerald moved from Illinois to Washington, D.C., and then on to Texas and California, before settling in Madison in the early 1960s. After obtaining her degree, Barbara taught as a substitute teacher in the Madison area for a number of years, in addition to raising her four children. When her children were mostly grown, Barbara joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Waisman Center as a Project Administrator in the School of Social Work. Barbara took her roles as mother and, later, grandmother, very seriously. However, she brought her innate individuality and whimsy to those roles, as well. The result was four children and five grandchildren who remained very actively a part of her life, and she theirs, for her entire life. Her model of parenting, and grandparenting, set the bar incredibly high. Her children can only hope to approach the standard she, and Gerald, set. Another of Barbara’s passions was connecting with the natural world, and helping to contribute to its preservation. She and Gerald acquired a defunct dairy farm in 1975, and spent remarkable effort improving the natural elements of its land for more than 30 years. Her son, Todd, carries on their tradition with that land, while also giving his own imprint to it. Her surviving family include her four children, LeAnn of Iowa City, Iowa, Todd of Blanchardville, Wis., Dawn (Robert Weiland) of Buckeye, Ariz., and Kurt (Kathleen Darley) of Chicago, Ill.; her sister, Janet Kallberg of Sawyer, Mich.; and her grandchildren, Matthew Larson Murry of Iowa City, Iowa, Peter Larson Murry of Denver, Colo., Delaney Weiland of Milwaukee, Wis., Rob Weiland of Madison, Wis., and Kristopher Larson of Chicago, Ill. Barbara was preceded in death by her husband, Gerald; and her parents, Ken and Esther. Barbara and Gerald hiked the majority of the Ice Age Trail more than a decade ago, in commemoration of their 50th wedding anniversary. Kindly make memorial donations to “The Ice Age Trail Alliance, in honor of Barbara Larson”: Ice Age Trail Alliance, P.O. Box 128, 2110 Main St., Cross Plains, WI 53528 Memorial donations may also be made via the Alliance website, using the “Donate” button, scrolling down to the “General Donations (Non-Membership)” portion, selecting the “In Memory of” option and entering Barbara’s information. Alternatively, donations can be made directly at iceagetrail.org/tributes with Barbara’s information. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson Fitchburg Funeral & Cremation Care 2950 Chapel Valley Rd. (608) 442-5002