Sara M. Whalen
Site staff
MONONA – Sara M. Whalen passed away at age 79 on Tuesday, February 9, 2021 after a short illness. Sara was a maker of wonderful things.
She made a beautiful family with her husband John Whalen. John and Sara met in Beloit, Wisconsin in 1964 on Memorial Day weekend when Sara was teaching 4th grade in Beloit and John was working at the Beloit Corp. They married the next summer and welcomed Anne into their lives a year later. Beloit was where they made their first batch of German Yeast cookies, a yearly Christmas tradition that has been passed down to all of their children. Soon after, Sara and John moved to Janesville where John, their favorite son was born. Sara and John moved to Madison in 1970 and then soon after moved to Monona where they shared a home together for 49 years. There they raised four children, the third and surprisingly fourth, Nora and Ruth, arriving on Leap Day, 1976. Throughout the years, Sara and John’s family grew. Sara is adored by Anne, Jarral, Lila and Julian Ryter of Gunnison, Colorado; John and Kelly Whalen of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin and Sara’s first granddaughter Elizabeth Gaeth and her wife Carly Gaeth of New Brighton, Minnesota; Nora Whalen, Ben Goldfarb, Emilia, Oliver and Isaac Whalen Goldfarb of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Ruth Whalen Crockett, Jonathan, Andrew and Julia Crockett of Lowell, Massachusetts. Sara loved to travel with John, visiting her children in their far off locations, partnering with her sons-in-law at Canasta, camping, singing with her family at church and around the campfire, and trying out new recipes. Sara’s children and grandchildren are deeply grateful for the amazing marriage Sara and John nurtured and always knew that Sara deeply loved, trusted and cared for them, a true testament to Sara’s life.