Mary Jane Eisele

Mary Jane Eisele of Madison, WI passed away at 87 years old on August 29, 2025, at Agrace Hospice, surrounded by her loving family.

Mary Jane was born on December 18, 1937, in South Wayne, WI, to William and Martha (née Senn) Mahlkuch. Mary Jane grew up on her family’s farm alongside her older brother, Robert “Bob,” and older sister, Marjorie “Margie”. She attended South Wayne High School, where she was an active member in glee club, vocal quartet, and marching band, in which she played clarinet. Her time on the sidelines with the band established a lifelong love of watching sports, especially basketball. She was a huge UW Men’s basketball and Milwaukee Bucks fan! After graduating with honors (“the blonde with the brains”), she “wanted a change” and moved to Rockford, IL and began work at Sundstrand as a bookkeeper.

Several years later, she moved to Madison, WI, and worked at Madison Demco Library Supplies in the payroll department. While working at Demco, she was set up on a blind date by a colleague, which led her to meet David “Dave” Eisele, who would be her husband of 56 years. Mary Jane and Dave were married on May 16, 1964, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Madison. Together, they had two children, Andrew and Christine, who were the loves of her life. Primarily a homemaker, Mary Jane eventually returned to work at Cain Ashcraft Furniture when her children were in high school. Mary Jane’s maternal disposition was also reflected in how she cared for her grandchildren, who always amused her with their antics and accomplishments. Mary Jane created a lovely, warm home that proved to be a favorite place to celebrate holidays and spend quality time with family.

Mary Jane adored gardening, tending to her flowerbeds, and feeding the birds. Her blossoming flowers were always a lovely sight to see through the kitchen window in spring and summer. She was a wonderful home cook and enjoyed cooking alongside her children and grandchildren, whether it was teaching them to bake pies with raspberries and rhubarb from her garden, or roasting whole chickens on the grill. She also enjoyed sewing and needlework, often making clothes for her daughter growing up. A lover of music, Mary Jane sang to her children every night in their beds, and in later years was always singing or humming along to classic country songs on her radio. She was also a self-described “lover of cats” and anyone who knew her wouldn’t disagree! She cared for pet cats all her life and could never be without them.

She kept active with yoga and bowling, especially, which allowed her to spend time with friends and reach a high score of 262! She loved playing cards, canasta, and euchre in earlier years, but never lost touch with the family favorite card game, Racko, even winning games in her final days! Mary Jane was the kindest and sweetest person you could ever meet. She was always game for whatever was in store and always ready to laugh! Incredibly patient, attentive, and gentle, Mary Jane’s spirit will live on in the hearts of her loved ones.

Mary Jane is survived by her son, Andrew, and his wife, Lindsay; her daughter, Christine, and her husband, Brian; her former daughter-in-law, Mary; her five grandchildren, Martha, Oscar, Madeline, Josephine, and August; and of course, her two cats, Rusty “Russell” and Gracie.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Dave Eisele; her siblings, Bob Mahlkuch and Margie Edwards; and her parents, Bill and Martha Mahlkuch.

A memorial gathering will be held at Cress Center, 6021 University Avenue, Madison, on Saturday, September 27, 2025. Visitation will be from 1:00 – 3:00pm. Service begins at 3:00pm. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Dane County Humane Society ( https://www.giveshelter.org/ ), Agrace Hospice (http://agrace.org/donate/), or Olbrich Botanical Gardens ( https://www.olbrich.org/).