Margaret Irlbeck

Madison: Margaret Ellen Irlbeck (nee Austin), age 94, passed away September 17, 2019. She was born in Montana June 1, 1925, to Harriet Murphy Austin and Marion Austin. The family moved to Wisconsin when she was 18 months old.

Margaret finished high school in 1943 and later graduated from Juneau County Normal. She worked for the Badger Ammunition Works where she met and married her husband, later moving to Madison where they raised their 4 children.

Margaret returned to school in 1965 and graduated with her teaching degree from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater. She taught Special Education in the Madison School District for many years and later worked and retired from National Guardian Life Insurance. Upon retiring, she volunteered for the Council for the Blind and at Our Lady Queen of Peace school.

For fun, she traveled with family and with Elderhostel programs both domestically and internationally.

Margaret is survived by her children; Steven (Nancy), James, Ellen (Eduardo) Gomez, Karen (Scott) Finkle, 8 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, and a sister, Anna Mae Madden. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother, John and sister, Maxine.

Special thanks to the staff at Heartland Country Village and Agrace Hospice.

I lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Catholic Multicultural Center, the Council for the Blind, or a charity of your choosing. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Monday, September 23, 2019 at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, 401 South Owen Dr., Madison, WI; visitation will be from 10-11 with a Mass immediately following.

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