Carol Burns

MADISON-Carol Elaine Burns was born December 30, 1922, in Madison, Wisconsin, the first child of Olaf Swennes and Manda Olson. Her parents were from Minnesota and South Dakota, born to Norwegian immigrants. Carol graduated from East High School in 1940 and attended UW-Madison where she majored in Home Economics (Human Ecology). She graduated in 1944 and went to work at the Boston Store in Milwaukee. She returned to Madison and married fellow Madisonian Robert C. Burns in April 1945. Carol and Robert had two children, Bruce and Terry. Carol enjoyed music and art throughout her long life in Madison. She lived life fully, with love and affection for her family and many friends. She studied violin at Wisconsin School of Music and played in the UW Symphony and for 35 years in the Madison Symphony Orchestra. She studied and taught art classes at MATC (Madison College) for many years and was active in Madison Art Guild, her own Studio Eight art group, and Wisconsin Visual Artists. She was preceded in death by her father, mother, younger brother Noralf in 2008, and husband in 2012. Carol was very independent and stayed in her home in Crestwood for 60 years. She suffered a recent hip fracture and was working hard in rehabilitation when she developed heart failure and pneumonia, passing away at UW Hospital on the morning of January 19, 2016. She is survived by her sons, their spouses Craig and Elvira, and her grandchildren Thomas and Sonia.

Memorial Services will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, January 30th, 2016, at Asbury Methodist Church (of which she and her husband were founding members), 6101 W. University Avenue, Madison, WI 53705. Private burial will take place at Roselawn Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made in her memory to Madison Art Guild, P.O. Box 45442, Madison, WI 53744-5442.