Margaret James

MADISON - Margaret Ann James, age 88, of Madison, passed away at Oakwood Village West on Monday, January 12, 2015.
Margaret Ann James was born on August 19, 1926 in Iowa City, Iowa, to David Ellis and Hazel Rosine (Geiser) James. She attended preschool and grade school in Iowa City; junior high (grades 7-9) in Columbus, WI; and West High School (grades 10 -12) in Madison, graduating in 1944. In 1948, she graduated from The University of Wisconsin - Madison with a degree in Home Economics, majoring in Hospital Dietetics. The next year she completed her dietetic internship at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD.
Margaret's first job was as an administrative dietitian at Hurley Hospital, Flint, MI. In addition, she served as therapeutic and teaching dietitian while there until 1955. Her enjoyment of teaching student nurses sparked her to go back to graduate school at the UW to major in Home Economics Education with a Health Education minor. Her first job, after completion of her Master's in 1957, was at Eastern Illinois University, Charleston where she taught Foods and Nutrition, Home Management until 1961.
In 1961 she went to Stout State University, now U.W. - Stout, to teach the Dietetics and Home Economics Education Majors classes in Advanced Nutrition, Diet Therapy, and Meal Management. Meanwhile she had taken summer classes at U.W. - Madison and University of Minnesota to support her teaching assignments.
In 1973 she took a Leave of Absence, which was not a Sabbatical, to work on a Doctorate in Adult and Community College Education at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. Her minor was Public Health Nutrition so those classes were taken at Chapel Hill. Her emphasis was Nutrition Education. She returned in 1975, with her doctorate, to U.W. - Stout to develop strong Nutrition Education and Dietetics courses. She retired in January 1990 as Professor Emeritus after 28 and a half years of service. In the Fall she moved back to Madison where she participated in many educational activities. November 2002 she moved to Oakwood West, an excellent decision for her, where she continued community activities and made new relationships.
She was a member of First United Methodist Church. Her professional memberships were: The American Dietetic Association, The American Home Economics Association (now The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences),The American Association for Higher Education, and Society for Nutrition Education. Her honors, fellowships, and awards included: Gamma Sigma Delta, Kappa Omicron Phi, Phi Delta Gamma, Phi Kappa Phi, Pi Lambda Theta. She received the Lindback Teaching Award in 1964, and was one of the "Top 20 Teachers" at U.W.-Stout in 1973.
Her favorite hobbies were needlework, travel, gardening and house fix-ups, genealogy and family history.
She is survived her sister, Kathy Lewis, and by many nephews and nieces, other relatives, friends and former students. She was preceded in death by: her parents, David Ellis James, Sr. and Hazel Rosine Geiser James; brothers: David Ellis James, Jr., Edward Everett James, and Richard Bernard James; Sister: Janet Marilyn James (Donovan) Waugh.
No funeral or memorial services will be held. Private burial will be at Forest Hill Cemetery.
Memorial gifts may be made to: First United Methodist Church Foundation, Madison; Oakwood Village Foundation, Madison; or to the charity of your choice. Please share your memories at www.CressFuneralService.com
Cress Funeral and Cremation Service
3610 Speedway Road, Madison
(608) 238-3434