Willadene M. Zedan

Willadene Margaret Zedan, 88 years old, passed from this life to the next on October 6, 2016 in Fond du Lac, WI. Born in Dearborn, MI on February 4, 1928 to Chester Dow and Margaret Day Lewis, Willow, as her late husband Joe fondly called her, was the youngest of four children and an unbelievably extraordinary woman.

Someone who never complained about the hand life dealt her, Willadene always looked for the silver lining in every storm cloud. Raised during the Great Depression, and having lost her oldest brother when she was only twelve and then nearly losing her other brother when he was wounded on June 6, 1944 landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day, Willadene learned to treasure every moment with her family.

Graduating a year early from Fordson High School in Dearborn, MI, Willadene started an apprenticeship in Mortuary Science with the hope of attending college and becoming a mortician. However, her dream was cut short a year later when her Mother unexpectedly passed away. Devastated by the loss of his wife, her Father asked her to forgo her dream and return home to take care of the family. Understanding how important her presence was, Willadene returned home but never gave up on her dream. On May 18, 2013, at the age of 85, she graduated from Marion College, Fond du Lac, WI, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology; the oldest graduate in the history of the college.

On September 24, 1947, while attending a dance at the Greystone Ballroom in Detroit with several of her girlfriends, Willadene met her soulmate, Joseph Dan Zedan. Married exactly two years later, they were married almost forty-nine years before his passing in 1998.

Willadene had a strong faith in God. With her husband Joseph, they raised their children to believe in God as well. She attended worship regularly and in April 2016 went on an adult mission trip to Biloxi, Mississippi with her church.

Willadene enjoyed life to the fullest and cherished the time spent with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was an avid camper, business woman, baker, accomplished pianist and artist. She loved traveling and was a firm believer in seeing the great natural treasures of the US. Over her lifetime, she visited every US state, many Canadian provinces and ten countries.

Her love of children didn’t stop with her own family. She spent almost 40 years volunteering as a Cub Scout, Boy Scout and Girl Scout leader. Most recently, at the age of 88, she spent four days in the woods of East Central Wisconsin teaching her Girl Scouts how to survive with little more than a sleeping bag.



Willadene was preceded in death by her parents, Chester Dow and Margaret Day Lewis, her sister Marianne, brothers Richard and Donald and her beloved husband Joseph. She is survived by her five children; Daniel (Judith), Rev. Dr. Margaret Richardson (Thomas), Thomas, James (Linda) and Anne-Marie Fry (Kenneth), fifteen grandchildren, twenty-eight great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.



The visitation will be held from 2:00 – 7:00 PM on Wednesday, October 12, 2016 at Pilgrim United Church of Christ, 535 Stow Street, Fond du Lac. The funeral service will be held at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, October 12, 2016 at Pilgrim United Church of Christ with Rev. Ted Drewsen officiating. Cremation will follow the traditional services.



In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to Boy Scouts of America, Bay Lakes Council or the Multiple Sclerosis Society in Willadene’s name.



Additional information and guest book may be found at www.ueckerwitt.com.