Mary K. Montag

A terrific woman, a great wife and mother, and our Mary in the Moon, Mary Kathryn (Whitford) Montag, age 76, of Fairwater, WI, passed away peacefully on January 11, 2026, following her battle with dementia and acute leukemia.

Mary was born July 3, 1949, in Prince Frederick, MD, the daughter of Philip and Kathryn (Rueber) Whitford. She was raised in Wauwatosa, WI, and attended ‘Tosa West High School’ where she got along with both the greasers and the jocks. She attended Carroll College for two years and graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Nursing. On December 6, 1969, she married Thomas (Tom) Montag in Milwaukee and mothered two daughters, Jenifer Kathryn Montag (Terry Brown) of Marion, OH, and Jessica Marie Montag (Mel Knade) of Loveland, CO. She was preceded in death by her parents and her uncle, Clason Rueber. She is survived by her husband, her daughters, her brother, Philip Clason Whitford (Susan Dickert) of Cross Plains, WI, her niece Kirstina (Whitford) King (Peter) of Columbus, OH, and other cousins, nieces, and nephews on her side of the family, and in-law relatives on her husband’s side way too numerous to list. Her grandchildren are all four-footed and furry. In the big red house in Fairwater, she leaves behind five very perplexed cats.

Mary worked as a nurse her whole career, first at St. Mary’s Burn Center in Milwaukee, then at Ripon Hospital, Ripon, WI, and for most of her career at Fond du Lac County Public Health where she oversaw lead poison abatement, as well as working with immigrants and the elderly. She served as President of the Village of Fairwater for nigh on forty years, overseeing the restoration of the Fairwater Dam on the Grand River after it washed out in 1989. She was a founder of Outdoors Tomorrow, a nonprofit devoted to nature education and experience for this area’s youth, and served as a board member for the duration of its existence. With her husband, she edited and published the Wisconsin Poets Calendar in 1982, 1983, and 1984, before handing the project to the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets, which continues the Calendar to this day.

Mary was known for her exceptional kindness and generosity and will be missed by all who knew her.

The family is immensely grateful to the doctors, nurses, and staff of Urgent Care and the Medical/Surgical ward at Ripon Hospital, including the cleaning woman who was a daily spot of sunshine during Mary’s stay. SSM Hospice was a blessing for Mary and the family in the final days. A special thanks to all the friends and neighbors who provided comfort, support, and assistance; the family is thankful beyond measure.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer’s Association, a hospice organization of your choice, or an animal shelter/Humane Society.

Butzin-Marchant Funeral Home in Ripon is handling final arrangements. At some point in the future, the family will hold a memorial gathering to honor Mary. Her ashes will be interred at the family cemetery on “the farm” in Marquette County.