Anita Ashworth

Anita C. Ashworth went to be with our Lord and Savior early Thursday morning, April 6th, 2023. She had just become a resident at Agrace Hospice Care in Fitchburg, where she spent just over 12 hours, before passing away peacefully with her husband at her side. She had spent the last 6 months battling a very aggressive form of endometrial cancer. She was born to Dick and Gloria Roeber in Neenah, Wisconsin in 1952, but spent most of her life in the Madison area.

In 1979 Anita was working at World Dairy Expo as the Advertising and Press Coordinator where she met the love of her life, Mike Ashworth. On June 18th, 1980, after a brief engagement, they were married. The couple lived in the Madison area for their entire lives together, eventually landing in Lodi, Wisconsin where they lived until the time of her death, almost 20 years later. Over the last 3 years they escaped the harsh Wisconsin winters at their home in Lady Lake, Florida.

Anita was a very creative person and longed to share her abilities with people in various ways. She attained a degree in interior design in 1988 and immediately began her own business, Anita Ashworth Interiors. She had a knack for making eye-catching designs out of practically nothing, many times using her clients’ previously owned items. Concurrently, she partnered with her husband Mike, helping him to build a successful insurance agency in Madison.

She was also an extremely talented vocalist and while attending UW Madison in the early 70’s, she was a member of the prestigious group, The Wisconsin Singers. She used her musical abilities throughout her life professionally singing hits from the 40’s through the 90’s with her husband who accompanied her in a contemporary style on the accordion.

Nita had developed physical limitations related to her life-long struggle with fibromyalgia and began to use her creative abilities in other ways by starting another business called Island Girl Beads, Boas & Baubles where she began designing jewelry and knitting scarves as an outlet for her creative talents. She crafted many hundreds of bracelets and necklaces and knitted hundreds of scarves as well. In addition, she began to make flower pens and would pass them out to people she met. Her primary intent was to just put smiles on the faces of friends, family and just about anyone whom with she would cross paths, usually just giving them the item(s) of their choice as a token of appreciation or for just being there. She touched the lives of countless people with her kind and gentle spirit and was the most beautiful, loving, giving person you could ever imagine. She always made it a point to notice something positive about a person to make them feel special or perhaps uplift them if they were having a bad day.

She loved her furry friends throughout the years and adopted many dogs, cats and even bunnies. Many were either abused or orphaned and required extreme compassion and care. But because of her gifted way of connecting with them, over time they would eventually exude her gentle and loving qualities.

Anita has a personal relationship with God and had an insatiable appetite for the Word of God, spending countless hours studying and reading her bible, devotionals, and study guides, using them as handbooks for the way she led her life. She was a member of Lake Wisconsin Evangelical Free Church in Lodi where she participated in many bible studies and used her musical abilities to sing on the worship team.

Nita always put others before herself and possessed the gift of empathy, always taking on other people’s pain, when she had plenty of pain of her own because of her advanced fibromyalgia and later cancer. She was a role model to many because of her compassion and kindness and will be sorely missed by anyone who had the privilege of knowing her.

Anita is survived by her husband of nearly 43 years, her sister-in-law, Barb Roeber Black, her brother-in-law, Tim Swanson, her uncle, Fr. Bob Hoffmann, her aunt, Nancy (Rudy) Hermann and many cousins, other relatives, and friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Dick and Gloria (Hoffmann) Roeber, her sister, Marie Roeber Swanson and her brother, Greg Roeber.

Funeral arrangements are being provided by Winn-Cress Funeral Home in Waunakee, Wisconsin. A celebration of Anita’s life will be held at Lake Wisconsin Evangelical Free Church, N1640 Ryan Rd, Lodi, WI 53555 on Friday, May 5th, from 9:00am until time of the service at 11:00am. A luncheon will immediately follow in the church’s multi-purpose room.

Mike and Anita would like to give heartfelt thanks to the staff at UW Hospitals and Clinics where Anita received her care prior to her admittance to Agrace Hospice. They would also like to thank Agrace for making it possible for Anita to spend her last hours in a peaceful and compassionate environment, making her feel much like she was right at home. God bless everyone who offered uncountable prayers and moral support to both Anita and Mike during this difficult time.

Winn-Cress Funeral Home

5785 Hwy Q

Waunakee, WI