Barbara Haraughty Obituary

We regret to inform you that former nursing instructor Barbara Haraughty passed away last week. Here's her obituary:

Barbara J. Haraughty died on Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010, at St. Mary's Hospital.

She was born on Dec. 23, 1928, in Minneapolis, Minn., to Eleanor Rommelfanger and Thomas McMahon. The family moved often due to Thomas' job with Krogers and Barbara and her brother attended many different schools. They finally settled in Madison, where Barbara graduated from Edgewood High School in 1946. Like her mother, Barbara attended the Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester, Minn. She graduated in 1951 and moved to Denver, Colo., where she met and married James Haraughty. James and Barbara made Madison, their home. Barbara pursued her career in nursing and her education while she raised her children. She obtained a baccalaureate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master's in vocational education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Barbara worked at Central Colony (now Central Wisconsin Center), the Wisconsin Diagnostic Center, and in several capacities at Mendota Mental Health Institute. She had a special place in her heart for troubled adolescents and persons suffering from mental illness. She taught psychiatric nursing at Mendota and later taught in the LPN program at MATC (Madison College) from which she retired in 1990.

James died on March 29, 1992. In her later years Barbara suffered many physical obstacles. With each new barrier, she problem-solved, adapted as best she could and went on to live the fullest life possible. Her friendships, her family, and her church sustained her. Barbara leaves a legacy of commitment to family, love of the Lord, an appreciation of the value of education, and an example of perseverance over adversity.

She is survived by her children, Patricia (John) Haraughty-Sanna and James (Kathleen) Haraughty; and her grandchildren, Thomas and Margaret Sanna, and Kaitlin and Sean Haraughty.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 39 years, James Haraughty; her parents; her brother, John McMahon; and her second husband, Richard Vetter who was her loving companion from their marriage on April 13, 1996, until his death on October 16, 2000.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be at St. Peter Catholic Church, 5001 N. Sherman Ave., on Monday Oct. 18, at 11 a.m. Visitation will be at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of service on Monday. In lieu of flowers, donations to "TeamMS.org" or to the Multiple Sclerosis Society would be appreciated.

Gunderson East Funeral and Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608) 221-5420.