Dean E. Tvedt

MOUNT HOREB/VERONA - Dean Ellis Tvedt passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, at the age of 96, with his family by his side. Dean was born on a farm just west of Mount Horeb on July 13, 1924, to Melvin and Sadie (Luhman) Tvedt. When he was in his teens they moved to another farm in the township of Cross Plains. Dean attended Mount Horeb High School where he acquired a lifelong passion for photography after signing up for a camera club. Garfoot Creek flowed through the Tvedt farm property. A joint fish-hatching project with some neighbors and the local conservation warden (Andrew Sampson - a frequent fisherman on the creek) sparked another lifelong interest: conservation. Dean took pictures, wrote articles and did copy-pasting for Commonwealth Telephone Company of Wisconsin in Madison. He was drafted and served in Japan with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers where he also did photography. Upon his return he successfully combined his two interests when he was hired by the Wisconsin Conservation Department (now DNR), where he worked in their Bureau of Information & Education, Photo Section. There he started shooting movies and moved on to television where he coproduced “Wisconsin Outdoors” with Wilbur Stites and Staber Reese. He also worked with a crew for a Walt Disney film entitled “Flash, the Teenage Otter.” Dean spent the rest of his career with the Conservation Department and the DNR, retiring in 1987. His films and especially his photos are used to this day in publications, calendars, articles and the like. Dean was married to Lois Jacqueline (Mueller) Tvedt for 69 loving years. They spent many wonderful summers at their second home in Sister Bay, Door County. He is survived by Lois; two sons, Richard (Kathleen McCool) of Madison and Roly of Verona; seven grandchildren, Ryan, Teighlor, Baileigh (Kiel Stampfli), Teeghan, Brigham, Eudora and Nina; and one great-granddaughter, Blakelyn. He was preceded in death by his parents, Melvin and Sadie; and by his eldest sons, David and Randy. The family will hold a private memorial gathering Friday, Feb. 19, 2021, at the Gunderson Camacho Funeral Home in Mount Horeb. There will be a celebration of Dean’s life held sometime this summer at Mount Horeb United Methodist Church where he worshiped. Any cards may be sent care of Roly Tvedt: 500 S. Main St., Verona, WI 53593. Please, no gifts. Memorials may be made to the Natural Resource Foundation of Wisconsin in memory of Dean Tvedt. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson Camacho Mount Horeb Funeral & Cremation Care 500 N. Eighth St. (608) 437-5077