Beverly Steinhoff

Madison-Beverly Ann Woolhiser Steinhoff passed away Sunday morning, January 8, 2012 at the Agrace Hospice after a long battle with heart problems.

Madison-Beverly was born to Algie Woolhiser and Lenore Jasperson in Sparta, Wisconsin. Her father was a farmer near Melrose, Wisconsin and her mother was a nurse working in local hospitals. A few years after Beverly's birth, her dad built a filling station in Stoddard Wisconsin. The family then moved to Viroqua so that Beverly and her brother Dave could finish their high school education.

In 1948 Beverly graduated high school with honors. She attended her first year of college in Lacrosse and then transferred to the UW-Madison School of Nursing, graduating with the class of 1953. In her senior year she married Neal Steinhoff, a student in the UW School of Business. After Neal was drafted into the Army, Beverly and Neal moved to Lawton, OK where she worked in a number of nursing positions. When Neal was discharged from the Army in 1954 they began raising a family of four boys. Bev went back to the UW-Madison, receiving her Masters degree in Nursing, specializing in the care of pre-mature infants. She worked as an instructor in the School of Nursing, teaching both under-grad and graduate level courses. She also worked at Wisconsin Central Center as a Qualified Mental Retardation Professional for several years retiring in 1990. Bev will be remembered for composing poems for the families of the patients upon their passing.

Bev was active in the UW-Madison School of Nursing Alumni Association, serving as Chairperson for a number of years. One of the most significant achievements was to challenge the class of 1953 to pledge over $25,000 to the new School of Nursing building program. Subsequent classes have tried to better this unbelievable amount. Bev was awarded Nursing Alumni of the year for this achievement.

The last 20 years of retirement have been spent traveling the world. From Beijing to Kenya, through Nepal and Australia, with multiple stops in Europe, including a fantastic cooking school in Tuscany. They traveled to many countries and continents, but the premier trip, was taking all the children and grandchildren to Norway. The Greatest Trip Ever!

Beverly is survived by Neal Steinhoff, her loving and devoted husband of 60 years, four sons Mark from Williston, VT, Paul from Stephensons City, VA, Thom Steinhoff, from San Gabriel, CA and their spouses. John, her second son, recently moved home from Studio City, CA to help care for their aging parents. There are ten grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

This past December, all of the kids, grandchildren and great grandchildren traveled many miles to be here for Bev and Neal's 60th Wedding Anniversary.

For 60 years Bev and Neal were deeply in love. We believe this was our best and happiest accomplishment of all. Love you all.

A memorial service will be held at West Middleton Lutheran Church, 3763 Pioneer Rd, Verona 53593 on Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 11:00am. Visitation will be held at 9am until the time of service.

Please no flowers. Donations should be made to West Middleton Lutheran Church.