Charlene Medenwald

MADISON- Charlene Rachel (Edwards) Medenwald, age 91, passed away peacefully on Dec. 15, 2014, surrounded by her loving family and special friend Julie Selin. She was born April 28, 1923 on Charles Edwards farm near Albany, Wisconsin. She was the youngest daughter of Clay Newman and Hilda (Hanson) Edwards. She grew up in Chicago, Ill. until 9th grade when her family moved to Brodhead, Wisconsin. She graduated from Brodhead High School in 1942. She earned her Baccalaureate in Nursing from the UW-Madison in 1948, and later her Master's in Education from UW-Stout. She joined the Nurses Cadet Corp, but WWII ended before she was called to serve. She married Robert A. Medenwald on January 30, 1953, at Calvary Lutheran Church in Madison. Together they raised a happy and devoted family of six children, living on Madison's west side. She worked at the UW Hospital as a staff nurse, head nurse, and a nursing supervisor. Later she worked at MATC as a clinical instructor for the LPN Nursing program, mainly in OB/GYN nursing. She was inspired to become a nurse by the nurses and doctors at Chicago Children's Hospital who cared for her over a year after she was severely burned by a firecracker as a small child. She remained dedicated to nursing all her life and served in many capacities including President of the UW Nurses Alumni Association.

Charlene was a wonderful mother and had a great sense of humor. She was always willing to go new places and try new things. She looked forward to going Up North every summer to the cabin on a lake with her entire family. She loved spending time with her grandchildren, gardening, bird watching, playing bridge, and traveling with friends and family. She was a great conversationalist and usually the life of the party. After she retired she spent a summer in China teaching English, and then continued volunteering with the Chinese student group at the International Student Center. She also volunteered at the Red Cross and Meals on Wheels for many years.

She is survived by her six children: Nancy A Steinke of Tucson, AZ; Janet R Hogg of Soquel, CA; Robert C Medenwald of Madison, WI; Ruth E Grayless of Orfordville, WI; Mary E Klopotic of Mt. Vernon, WI; and John C Medenwald of Belleville, WI. She has 15 grandchildren: Elliot, Antonia and Graham Hogg; Charles, Julia, and James Steinke; Joe, Anna, and Nate Klopotic; Kate, Savanna, and Jake Grayless; Owen, Riley and Elise Medenwald; and 3 great grandchildren: William and Everett Hogg, and Ethan Hunt. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Robert, her parents, her brothers Jack and Donald Edwards, and her older sister Mary (Edwards) Shelton.

Funeral services will be held at ZWINGLI UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, 1693 Washington Street, Mt. Vernon on Saturday Dec. 20, 2014 at 10:30 am. Pastor Brad Brookins will be officiating. A visitation will be held at the church on Saturday from 9:30 until the time of the service. She will be laid to rest in Saint Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery in Reedsburg, Wisconsin. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in memory of Charlene to Zwingli United Church of Christ in Mt. Vernon, the UW Madison Nurses Alumni Association, or Wisconsin Public Radio, which she listened to every day. Charlene and her family would also like to give special thanks to the staff at Agrace Hospice and her wonderful caregivers from Senior Helpers whose kindness helped make her final years so enjoyable.

Cress Funeral Service
3610 Speedway Road, Madison
(608) 238-3434