Betty Delores Black
MADISON- Betty Delores Black, age 86, a fun-loving Madison resident who never wavered in her love of her family, died Thursday, Mar. 14, 2013, after a brief illness.
She was born in Madison on Mar. 17, 1926, the daughter of Roy and Wilhelmina Raffel Chamberlain. She was a 1945 graduate of Madison East High School. She met Donald E. Black, her husband of 63 years, on a blind date at the Memorial Union Rathskeller during World War II while he was attending the Naval Radio School on the UW campus. They were married Feb. 15, 1946, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Madison.
They had five children: Bernice “Bunny” (Norman) Lenburg of Sun Prairie, William (Teri) Black of Madison, Jane (Anthony) Mellini of Wichita, Kan., Kathleen (Thomas) Lehman of Sun Prairie and Ronald Black of Madison.
While she was a “stay at home mom” for many years, she also worked for the Wisconsin Dept. of Revenue, the old Ohio Chemical Co. and Arlan’s Department Store at various times. She served on several committees at Trinity Church and also was a former Cub Scout leader. After her husband retired from the Madison Fire Department in 1979, they moved to Spring Hill, Fla., where they lived for 28 years until returning to Wisconsin in July, 2007. She enjoyed creating craft items and was active in the Brooksville, Fla., Elks Lodge with her husband.
She is survived by her children; six grandchildren, Daniel Savering and Jeffrey Black, both of Madison, Vanessa (Aaron) Mellini-Bilorecky of Bonita Springs, Fla., Elizabeth Mellini of San Diego, Calif., and Amber and Adam Lehman of Sun Prairie; her brother, James (Maxine) Chamberlain of Madison; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; sisters, Lola, Evelyn, Marion, Marjorie and Marcella; brothers: Richard, Leroy, Adelbert and Robert; and grandson Alex Black.
Funeral services will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Dr., Madison, at 11 a.m., on Saturday, March 23, 2013, conducted by the Rev. Susan Schneider. Burial will be in Roselawn Memorial Park. Visitation will take place at the funeral home from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m., on Friday, March 22, 2013, and also from 10 a.m. until the time of service on Saturday. Memorials may be made to the family or to Agrace HospiceCare.
Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.
Gunderson East
Funeral & Cremation Care
5203 Monona Drive
(608)221-5420
Memorials:
Memorials may be made to the family or to Agrace HospiceCare.
Visitation:
Visitation will take place at the funeral home from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m., on Friday, March 22, 2013, and also from 10 a.m. until the time of service on Saturday.
Service:
Funeral services will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Dr., Madison, at 11 a.m., on Saturday, March 23, 2013, conducted by the Rev. Susan Schneider.
Cemetery:
Burial will be in Roselawn Memorial Park.
