Audrey Joan Halverson

Audrey Halverson passed away peacefully in her home on Wednesday, April 16, 2023. She was surrounded by her husband Gordon and her son Rolf.

Audrey was born in Whitehall, Wisconsin on July 16, 1935, and grew up on her family’s farm in Blair, Wisconsin with her brother and 2 sisters. She attended The University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire and graduated with a BS in Elementary Education in 1959. During her studies she spent 2 years teaching at Caledonia Community Schools in Michigan. While working in the university lunchroom at Eau Claire she met her soon to be husband, Gordon.

In 1960 they were married and moved to Ellsworth, Wisconsin where both worked their entire careers for the Ellsworth Community School system. Over the course of the next 30 plus years she split her time between caring for her children at home and teaching in the various Ellsworth Elementary schools: Hillcrest, Maiden Rock and finishing at Lindgren Elementary school, with many substitute teaching days included over the years.

With her summers off from teaching, she spent countless hours in her gardens. Every kind of plant, whether it be flowering or vegetable, thrived under her green thumb. She loved to share her flowers with friends, neighbors and at church in bouquets. She would can and freeze all her produce to provide for her family through the harsh Wisconsin winters.

When not teaching or gardening she kept her hands busy with two of her other favorite activities: needlework and baking. She created hundreds of sweaters, wall hangings, quilts, tablecloths and runners over the years to decorate her family and household with. When it came to baking, she was a master at concocting cookies, bars, cakes and her fabulous home-made breads. There was never a store-bought pie crust in her home. For Christmas it became a tradition to see how many different treats she would create each year, maxing out at a whooping 26 one year. Everything rolled was always light, airy and melted in your mouth.

She was an incredibly social woman as well. She loved to be surrounded by others and was active in Sons of Norway for many, many years. At one time she was President of the Menominee chapter and was a member of the Woodville chapter up until her death. Church, religion and her strong faith in God were central to who Audrey was as well. Every Sunday and holiday she could be found sitting 5 rows from the back on the lefthand side at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Beldenville, Wisconsin where she was a member for almost 60 years. While a member at Our Savior’s she passed along her faith by volunteering as a Sunday school teacher, joining in the quilting crew, making lefse, Rømmegrøt and cooking fish for the annual lutefisk supper. One year it was estimated they cooked up to 2000 lbs! Where she really shined was in the pies sold at the church stand during the Pierce County Fair. Over the years she rolled pie crusts, assembled and baked hundreds of pies. Always lamenting if one bubbled over and slightly burned. It was a true labor of love.

Audrey also loved traveling, whether by plane or by car she was a road warrior. She had a soft spot for any bird or animal and they seemed to understand her love for them. The most skittish animal always found comfort from her and she never feared any of them. She fed birds and squirrels all winter long, indebting her into their hearts. She was an avid football and basketball fan. She fervently cheered on her Packers and Badgers; celebrating their wins and bemoaning their losses. She also enjoyed rooting for her grandkids as they played baseball, football and basketball throughout their high school careers.

Audrey is survived by her husband of 65 years, Gordon, her sons, Erik, Rolf and Leif (Heidi) and her daughter Kaari (Craig). She also has 6 grandchildren, Amara (Tyler), Chloe, Gus, Jasper, Nolan and Dane. And 1 great grandchild, Fjord. She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur Oscar Stenberg and Mildred Evelyn Stenberg (Simenson), her brother Warren Stenberg (Karen) and her two sisters Marian Lannier (Al) and Gail Stenberg.

A Funeral Service for Audrey will be at 11:00am on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at the Our Saviors Lutheran: N6450 530th St. Beldenville, WI 54003. A Visitation will be the night prior from 5:00pm to 8:00pm on Wednesday, April 22,2026 at the church. With an additional one hour visitation before the service on Thursday. She will be laid to rest in her hometown cemetery, near her father, mother and little sister at Fagernes Lutheran Church in Blair, Wisconsin. Remembrances of her can be made by donation to Our Savior’s Lutheran Church.

Arrangements are entrusted to O’Connell Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Ellsworth. For more information or to share a memory, please visit www.oconnellfuneralhomes.com or call 715-273-4421.