Elizabeth G. Quam

Elizabeth G. Quam was born, Jane Elizabeth (Betsy)Graham, on November 24, 1939 to the late William Carleton Graham and Mary Lavon Olson Graham. She passed away peacefully at her home in Oakwood Village, University Woods in Madison, Wisc on May 1, 2023. Elizabeth attended Nakoma Elementary School and Madison West High School where she graduated in 1957. She was active in many school activities as well as being voted to the Homecoming Court and queen of the West Relay Track Meet.

She attended the University of Wisconsin. She completed her degree with majors in  Art History and  French. After graduation, she became a full-time mother.   During that time she was also very active in Madison civic, charitable, social organizations as well as Boy and Girl Scout leader for her children. Betsy became an accomplished braille transcriber, earned her private pilot’s license and opened and operated a fine art gallery featuring 18^th and 19^th century oils. 

She moved to Florida in 1985 where she taught Norwegian folk dancing and became president of Sons of Norway, Naples Lodge, a Norwegian historical and cultural society.

In 1997 she purchased property in the Rocky Mountain town of Breckenridge, Colorado where she fulfilled her dream of designing and building a fully scribed log home.

In 2004 she reconnected with Donovan Quam, a classmate from Madison West High School . They married in Rollag, Norway in 2009.  Avid travelers, they packed more than 30 trips into their years, visiting most of the states in the U.S. and many countries around the world from Viet Nam to the Middle East, to South Africa, Spain, Cuba and all of South America.

Elizabeth is remembered fondly as a woman who was larger than life. She had a passion for life and love. She had a spirit of adventure and learning that was infectious to all who knew her. Elizabeth loved her husband, children and family fiercely and was a forever loyal and trusted friend to those she loved. Every community Elizabeth lived in she became engaged and involved, graciously giving of her time, gifts and talents. Her caring and compassionate heart was a gift to all.

Elizabeth is survived by her husband, Donovan Lee Quam, daughter, Karen Lee Stanley, (Moorpark, Ca) son, Eric Graham Gregersen(Middleton, Wisc). Son, Pier Norman Gregersen predeceased her in 1995 and her brother, William B Graham, predeceased her in 1992.  Elizabeth is also survived by five grandchildren: Alicia Faith Hall Flesher, Jason Robert Hall, Jeffrey Norman Hall, Darby Ann Gregersen and Oscar Norman Gregersen, great granddaughter Sage McKenna Flesher, sister Barbara Lavon Graham Foellmi, and her husband, Donald Richard Foellmi, and her nieces and nephews, Steven Foellmi,  John Foellmi , John’s daughter Paige Foellmi, Jason Graham and Cindy Pace.