Edward Schten

MADISON- Edward Schten passed away on July 13, 2020.  He was born in Chicago on February 20, 1931 to Lillian (Wax) and Edward V. Schten.  The family moved to a farm near Marcellus, MI in 1942.  After interruption for service in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, he graduated from Western Michigan University with a B.S. in Physical Education.  Ed moved to Madison, WI in 1956 where he met his wife Lynn (Marilyn Murdock).  They were married in 1957 and had 3 children, Karl (Barbara), Andrea (Dean), and Erik (Cindy).  Ed received a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin in 1959.  He has 5 grandchildren, Allison, Andrew, Alex, Rachel, and Aaron.  He was preceded in death by his wife, and brothers Donald and Arnold.

Ed worked for 2 years as director of research for the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission where he authored studies which lead to the Kentucky Educational Television system and early concern for coal mine site restoration.  He was employed by University of Wisconsin-Extension in 1961, with which he stayed until retirement in 1993.  At UW his main focus was educational work for local government officials.  Educational interests and flexibility on the part of UWEX enabled him to be the Higher Education Advisor for USAID in Bogota, Columbia from 1966-1968 and the Planning Officer for Haile Selassie I University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 1972-1974.  He also had short teaching stints in India (1964), Uganda (1969), and Fulbright awards to Uruguay (1988) and Paraguay (1992).

For 30 years Ed served on the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage Commission, 15 of them as President (chair).  He proclaimed it an honor and a privilege to work with a first-rate, dedicated group of professionals, on the most basic and important public health responsibility of local governments.

Ed was an avid runner for 25 years.  The apex was completing the Lakefront Marathon.  Ed and Lynn shared a joint love of their children, art, music, and travel which brought continuous spicing to over 60 years of marriage.  Visiting art museums was a favorite activity during their international and domestic travels.  In retirement, they made many trips to national parks in the western U.S, including 8 hikes to the bottom (and back) of the Grand Canyon.  Ed always reminded himself and others how very lucky he had been during his life to do what he wanted to do and to be with whom he wanted to be with.

Ed’s ashes will be interred at a later date in Marcellus, MI.  Due to COVID-19 a celebration of life for friends and family may be planned for a later date.  Memorials may be made to the Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin or the Chazen Museum of Art.