Margaret Nelson

MADISON - Margaret Viola Nelson died at Agrace Hospice Center in Fitchburg on May 2 from complications of breast cancer.

Margaret was born on March 2, 1941 in Elbow Lake, MN to Elmer L. and R. Viola (Ellison) Nelson. She grew up on a farm near Elbow Lake and attended the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, earning her B.A. in 1962 and M.D. in 1966. After an internship in Orange County, CA and residency at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, she was board certified in Internal Medicine. From 1976 to 1979, she practiced at the Oneida Health Center and Nursing Home in Oneida, WI, where she cultivated an interest in and appreciation for different cultures and traditions of medicine that would inform the rest of her career. In 1980 she returned to Madison to practice at the University of Wisconsin Health Services, where she remained until her retirement in 2004. There she served as assistant director of quality assurance for six years, on the eating disorder subcommittee for four years, and as a member of various other committees. Most importantly, she provided health care for generations of University of Wisconsin students.

After retirement she was active in maintaining green spaces in her neighborhood, particularly the Glenwood Children's Park. A fellow volunteer quoted in a 2009 Capital Times article called her "the good spirit of the park" for her tireless weeding and her organizing of community events there. "Margaret Nelson's quiet presence in the park," said the Times, "is another comforting reminder to parents and children that this is a friendly place."

She is survived by her children, Bert Johnson and Emily Johnson (Peter Hills); siblings Anne Baack, Glenn Nelson, and James Nelson. She was preceded in death by her parents.

As she became ill in recent years, neighborhood volunteers cooked meals, shoveled her sidewalk, fed the cats, and took care of other tasks that reduced burdens on Margaret and her family. She was grateful to have lived in such a supportive community.

A gathering with refreshments will begin at 12 Noon on Saturday, May 17, 2014 followed by a remembrance service at 1 p.m. at the Cress Center, 6021 University Ave, Madison.

Memorials may be made to Glenwood Children's Park, c/o Madison Parks Foundation, 1402 Wingra Creek Parkway, Madison, 53715 to the UW-Madison Arboretum, 1207 Seminole Highway, Madison, 53711 or to Agrace Hospice, 5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Fitchburg, WI 53711.