Mary Kathryn Newton

MADISON - Mary Kathryn (Kay) Newton passed away on January 5, 2015, ten days shy of her 97th birthday. Kay was born January 15, 1918, in Wautoma, Wisconsin, to Gad and Mary Jones. She married Baxter Newton on September 22, 1945, and together they raised six children in Madison.
Kay was best defined by her caring for other people and her formidable intellect. When she entered UW-Madison at the age of 15, she was the youngest coed ever enrolled at the university. She taught kindergarten in Wausau before her marriage. Kay was involved with many organizations in Madison, including Bethany United Methodist Church, Madison Friends of International Students, and Indian Hills Garden Club, and she celebrated her Welsh ancestry with the Cambrian Heritage Society. Her heart and soul belonged to her family, and she nurtured and provided a positive role model to children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren alike. We will miss her greatly.
Kay was preceded in death by her parents and her sisters, Elizabeth Buchen and Harriet Snyder. She is survived by her husband, Baxter, and children Jim (Carol Klukaczewski) of Middleton, Mary (Jim Sanger) of Wauwatosa, Peter of Carmichael, California, Liz of Milwaukee, Margy (Ray Tenebruso) of Cottage Grove, and John (the late Monica) of Madison. Also surviving are her grandchildren Grace Newton, Elizabeth, Susan, Peter, and John Sanger, Lilly (Jeff Wharton), Evan (Holly Elsberry), Louis, and Julia Tenebruso, and great-grandchildren Jaylen Wharton and Emma and Sophia Tenebruso. Special thanks to Senior Helpers for their care that allowed Kay to live independently these past two years.
Services will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials are appreciated to Madison Friends of International Students, 716 Langdon Street, Madison WI 53706; Bethany United Methodist Church, 3910 Mineral Point Rd., Madison, WI 53705; or Wisconsin Public Radio, www.wpr.org/support .