Fae Renfert

Madison - Fae W. Renfert died peacefully at her apartment at The Gardens on Jan. 8, 2013. Fae was born in Norwalk, WI on Oct. 24, 1918, the second child of A.G. "Tad" Wepfer and Bertha Prock Wepfer. She grew up working in the family drug store in Norwalk and spent summers visiting her Grandmas Prock and Wepfer, and various cousins, in Neillsville. She lost her father in the depths of the Depression, graduated from Norwalk High School in 1936 and moved to Madison to attend the University of Wisconsin. During WWII, Fae helped in the war effort by working as a cryptographer for the OSS in Washington, D.C. She graduated from the UW in 1945 and became a social worker. Her varied career included stints as a parole officer, an adoption agent, and a child welfare case worker. She married Frederic F. Renfert in the late 1950's, and raised three sons with him at their home in the UW Arboretum, where they lived for 35 years. Fae was a terrific mother, who made each of her sons feel that he was her favorite. She was naturally curious, and liked the adventure of driving without a plan. Fae was an early riser, a hard worker, a political conservative and a gourmet cook. She was interested in current events, bird watching and health foods. She was an extremely kind woman, who believed in God and the basic goodness of people. She would always bake a cake for a school function or drive a neighbor kid to school. For years, she handed out homemade doughnuts instead of candy on Halloween. Fae slowed down considerably in her 90's, but her eyes always lit up when she saw her grandchildren. Fae is survived by her three sons, Gordon (Gretchen) of Stevens Point, Blaine (Kim) of Madison and Tad (Janet) of Madison, seven grandchildren (Eric, Marc, Scott, Austin, Logan, Karsey and Koby), numerous nieces and nephews, and her beloved green Volkswagen Beetle, which she drove until she was 89. Fae was preceded in death by her parents A.G (1934) and Bertha (1968), her sister Mary Ann Schmitz (1966), her husband Fred (2000), and her brother Joseph F. Wepfer MD (2010). Visitation will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 13 at CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison. A private family burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Domestic Abuse Intervention Services, P.O. Box 1761, Madison, WI 53701 or Independent Living, 2970 Chapel Valley Road, Suite 203, Madison, WI 53711. We'll miss you, Mom, but will carry your love in our hearts forever.