Mark Briggs

Briggs, Mark R. MADISON/ MERRILL - Mark R. Briggs, age 63, of Bradenton, Fla., formerly of Madison and Merrill, died unexpectedly on Monday, Dec. 11, 2006. He was born on Dec. 11, 1943, to Lloyd and Erma Briggs. Mark graduated from Madison East High School in 1962 and joined the service. He was sent to Korea, where he worked as a dental assistant. After leaving the service, Mark went to Whitewater State College and graduated in 1971. He married Sonja Johnson in 1968. Mark went to work for the State of Wisconsin in 1973 and moved to Milwaukee, where he worked as a probation and parole officer, continuing to work for his masters degree, which he received in 1973. In 1976, they moved to Lake Tomahawk, which was a lovely place to live with two small children. The McNaughton State Prison was located there and Mark worked as a social worker. In 1980, they moved to Merrill, a place Mark dearly loved. He worked for the Lincoln Hills school for youth and was on the Juvenile Offender Review Board, retiring in 2000 at the age of 57. Mark is survived by his wife, Sonja; daughter, Tammy Scharoun of Fla.; son, Aaron (Sheila) of DeForest; three grandchildren, Zachary Scharoun, and Zoe and Riley Briggs; his parents; two sisters, Sandra Scherer and Linda Miller of Madison; and a brother, Lloyd (Laveda) of Fort Smith, Ark. A memorial service will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Drive, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007. Visitation will be at the funeral home from 1 p.m. until the time of the service. Memorials may be made to the Humane Society of Manatee County, 2525 14th St. W, Bradenton, Fla. 34205. Mark will be remembered as a man who loved the wild spaces of the earth, the green of the trees and grass, and the splash of a canoe paddle on a quiet northern lake. He was a man of few but meaningful words whose affection showed in his deeds and clever creations. Perhaps he was never more at peace than when he was with his family whom he loved dearly. His imagination and his delightfully odd sense of humor will forever live on in our thoughts as he paddles that great canoe trail in the sky. Gunderson East Funeral and Cremation Centers 5203 Monona Drive (608) 221-5420 www.gundersonfh.com