Eleanor "Bee" Davidsaver

MONONA - Eleanor “Bee” Davidsaver, 95, of Monona, Wisconsin, died December 30, 2022. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Eleanor Kerr; her brothers, Richard and James; her husband, William; and son, Cory.

Bee was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1927 and was raised in Crandon, Wisconsin, where she attended Crandon Elementary and High Schools, graduating at 17 as valedictorian. Bee was recruited out of high school to join the war effort, working as a civilian employee for the Department of the Navy in Washington, DC. At the conclusion of the war, she matriculated at the University of Wisconsin in January of 1946, where she earned a B.A. in Applied Art in 1949. At the University, she became a member of the Theta Phi Alpha Fraternity, a national organization of Catholic women and was active in the Newman Club, an organization of Catholic students at secular universities. She remained active in TPA throughout her life, serving on the national board, as a province governor, frequently as a convention delegate and as president of the Madison Area Alumni Association for many years.

Bee met her husband, Bill, at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. They married in 1949 at St. Paul's Catholic Student Center on the University of Wisconsin campus and began their family of eight children, who they raised in Monona, where they were members of Immaculate Heart of Mary parish since 1952. She participated in the St. Anne's Society and the Discussion Club at church and the Monona Homemaker's group. She was prominent in her children’s activities as an involved, stay at home mother and as a leader in scouting and 4-H. Bee and Bill were active in the Madison Slide and Movie Club and attended Badger football and hockey games together. The family enjoyed travel, particularly camping and canoeing and engaging in many outdoor sports such as snow skiing. At age 60, Bee started a career with the State of Wisconsin where she retired from the Department of Corrections at age 83 as a Program Specialist.

Bee is survived by her sons, Gary of Monona, Dennis (Linda) of Madison, Kevin (Jeanne Amirine) of Hillsborough, North Carolina, Patrick (Vera Vogt) of Teton Village, Wyoming, and Michael (Stacy) of Lodi; daughters, Amy Coyle (David Moross) of Colorado Springs and Kristi Tarantino of Milwaukee; grandchildren, Paul, Mary, Shannon, Kristi, Kelly, Justin, Lindsey, Mathew and Scott; and seven great-grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 5101 Schofield St., Monona, at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. Family and friends who wish to view the Mass via LIVE STREAM may do so by visiting Bee’s obituary page at www.gundersonfh.com and click on the Watch Webcast link at the time of the Mass. A visitation will be held at the church from 9 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday.

Memorials may be made to Theta Phi Alpha Foundation, 27025 Knickerbocker Road, Bay Village, OH 44140-2300 or to Special Needs Scholarship Program at Immaculate Heart of Mary School, 5101 Schofield St., Monona, WI 53716-2797 or to Agrace HospiceCare.

Bee's children would like to acknowledge and thank the many volunteers from her church, especially Sue and Larry Schumacher, Craig Uselman, Mark Uselman and Chris Speece, the staff of UW Health Home-Based Primary Care and the staff of Agrace HospiceCare, especially Nicole Strahm and Loretta Sartee. Their kindness and compassion was very much appreciated by her family.

Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson East

Funeral & Cremation Care

5203 Monona Drive

(608) 221-5420