Marion Forrer

Stoughton - Marion A. Forrer, passed away on September 14, 2014.
It's hard to summarize 90 years of a life of a woman that never sat still more than one minute. The life of Marion Forrer is a novel, not a short-story, but here are a few highlights of each of her chapters:

Born February 16, 1924 to Oscar and Cecilia (Walsh) Vangsness, the eldest of 4 children, she was raised in Madison and attended Edgewood, graduating from West High and then attended the University of Wisconsin. During World War II, at 20 years old, she boarded a train for Quantico, VA to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. For such a patriotic woman, becoming a Marine would give her great pride her entire life.

On June 7, 1947, she married Bill Forrer. Together they resided in Madison until 1960, when the "city raised" family with 7 children, at the time, bought a 60 acre farm outside of Stoughton, where they would reside together for 34 of their 47 years of marriage. Featured in a WSJ news article, entitled "In Love with a Farm," highlighting their transition from city to farm living, Marion talked of self-educating herself on agriculture by visiting the Dane County Agent and leaving with every book and pamphlet they had, from tobacco to chickens. When the reporter asked of her declared intention to take the University Agriculture Short Course, he asked, "Is that for women?" To which she replied, "I don't know and I don't care. I know I can learn a lot there." A woman before her time, she approached all aspects of her life with this same fortitude. Bill and Marion had 9 children: Shelia, David, Michael, Maryann, Jeanne, Joseph, Stephen, Andrew and Mark. While Bill worked full-time, Marion managed the farm, including their family-run "11/4's Acres Produce Market" importing and selling produce and Christmas trees.

Everything Marion tried, she succeeded at. Her constant search to be "what God created" was unending. Some of her many career adventures were: studying to be a nun and teaching primary school, teaching millinery courses at the Vocational school, a waitress, an insurance agent, bookkeeper, paralegal, tax consultant, and a seamstress. Even in her retirement, she worked at Lake Kegonsa State Park for 20 years and was active in numerous local and state Woman Veteran organizations and represented veterans on political committees, including Senator Herb Kohl. Marion was selected as a participant of the Badger Honor Flight for WWII veterans to visit the Memorial in Washington D.C. She was an avid quilter and gardener, took writing courses, and realized a long-long dream by visiting Alaska.

Marion is survived by her children Shelia (Jim) Pink, MaryAnn (Craig) Armstrong, Joseph Forrer, Stephen Forrer, and Mark (Mary) Forrer, her sister Marceil Pultorak, son-in-law Mark Halverson (Jeanne), daughter-in-law Mary Forrer (Michael). 11 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, and many dear friends. Marion was preceded in death by her husband, William Forrer, her children, David, Andrew, Jeanne Halverson, and Michael, her daughter-in-law, Lorraine Forrer (Joseph), and her siblings Donald and Phyllis Vangsness.
Semper Fi, Marion.

Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at St. Ann's Catholic Church, Stoughton. Mass of Christian burial will be held after the visitation at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Marion will be laid to rest next to her husband at St. Ann Cemetery. Following the burial friends and family are invited to a luncheon at the American Legion Post 59, Stoughton.