Marilyn A. Nelson Shanahan

Marilyn was born in Ross, North Dakota, to parents who had just had a tornado take everything away. She begged to enter school at age 4 and eventually graduated as top of her class from DeForest High School in Wisconsin. She went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Wisconsin and then a master’s degree from the University of Washington. She was happily married to Douglas Shanahan for 48 years. She is survived by her daughters, Mary Anderson of Dallas, Texas, and Anne Bekken of Madison; sister, Kathleen Markgraf of Lodi, Wisconsin; 11 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren. She loved her family dearly. 

Marilyn loved to cook, garden, volunteer, travel, and paint. In her later years Marilyn’s faith became all the more important to her and she tried to encourage others to find consolation in Christ. Marilyn went to be with her Savior on Tuesday.

A celebration of life service will be held on Thursday, December 29, at 10 AM at Asbury Church in Madison with Alan Weatherly officiating.