Virginia Mae (Farwell) Zwickey

Virginia was born December 14, 1930, in DeForest Wisconsin. She was the oldest of eight children born to Cathernine (Carpenter) and Coyt Farwell. She attended grade school and high school in the Madison area.

 On August 30, 1948, she eloped to Waukon, Iowa with Harold Eugene Zwickey. They moved to Rhinelander, WI and all four of their children were born there. The family returned to Madison in 1963, when Harold took a job as an offset pressman for the University of Wisconsin. Virginia held advertising jobs with local newspapers, The Bugle American and Isthmus. Previously she had done some ad work for Rhinelander's local radio station. She spent many years working on her Journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin, earning her B.A. in 1986.

 Virginia became involved in many local activities. She was a life-long Democrat, who not only voted in every election, but also was a delegate to the state convention, joined the protest at the Capitol against ending ACT10, and was on a first-name basis with many local and state party members.

 She was also a very active member of Olbrich Botanical Gardens, following in the footsteps of her mom, Catherine, who was a founding member of the Olbrich Garden Club.

 Several other local groups benefited from her participation, notably N.A.M.I., Friendship Force and PorchLight.

 On November 21, 1987, Virginia married Sileshi Wolde-Tsadik on the steps of the capital on the same spot where they first met.

 Virginia loved playing the piano, especially when family gathered at Xmas and agreed to sing carols, often under duress.

 She enjoyed travelling and had been to both Africa (Ethiopia) and several countries in Europe often with her favorite travel companion, her daughter Cheryl.

 By opening her home to foreign students/professors working at the university, she expanded her friendships worldwide.

 Virginia was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands; Harold and Sileshi, her son, Glenn, and her siblings; Jean, Allen, and Betty, brother-in-law Darold Murray, and sisters-in-law Barb and Diane.

 Virginia is survived by her daughter Cheryl Gursoy, her sons; Ken(Barb) Zwickey, Randy (Carol) Zwickey, her daughter-in-law Helen (Berg) Zwickey; her siblings; Bernice Murray, Don Farwell, Duane (Camilla) Farwell and Dale (Kathy) Farwell; her grandchildren; Dawn Storley, Jon (Megan) Storley and Valarie Northrop; and her great-grandchildren : Breyden King, Storm Chetwood, and Berlyn Lord.

 In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Virginia favorite charities, Olbrich Botanical Gardens or Porchlight.

 Visitation will be at Cress Funeral on 3610 Speedway Rd, Madison Wi on January 14, 2025, starting at 11:00 am. A short service will be held at noon with burial and lunch to follow.

Cress Funeral & Cremation Service

3610 Speedway Road, Madison

(608) 238-3434