Janet Hart Widseth

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Widseth Janet Hart Widseth, 86, a homemaker, volunteer, and University of Minnesota administrator, died March 17, 2003 at the Quadrangle, in Haverford, PA. Mrs. Widseth moved to Pennsylvania to be near her daughter after her husband, Ed Widseth, died in December 1998. Daughter and granddaughter of Norwegian immigrants, Mrs. Widseth was born in Minneapolis and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1939 with a degree in Home Economics. While raising two children, she volunteered with the League of Women Voters (and later became president of the Minneapolis LWV); Order of the Eastern Star-Arcana chapter; the Citizens Committee for Public Education; Citizens League; and the University of Minnesota Alumni Association. She was the first woman appointed to the Minneapolis Civil Service Commission. In 1962 she began employment in the University of Minnesota Alumni Association where over 18 years of employment she rose to Associate Director. She was awarded the Association's Distinguished Service Award in 1984. During her retirement, Mrs. Widseth volunteered at the University of Minnesota Raptor Center; she also served on the board of directors for the Friends of Goldstein Gallery and U of M Retirees Association. She served on Advisory Boards for Continuing Education for Women at the U of M and the Minneapolis Community College. She pursued her Norwegian heritage with studying the Norwegian language at the Son's of Norway and supporting Vesterheim, and Norsemen's Federation. Mrs. Widseth was the widow of Ed Widseth, the Gopher's great All-American football player. Both she and her husband were devoted to the University of Minnesota. In an article when she joined the Board of Friends of Goldstein Gallery, she commented that she feels "at home at the U, especially the St Paul campus" where both she and her husband studied and met. The Widseths loved riding horses at a ranch in Tucson, AZ. She enjoyed birding, traveling, cooking, reading and photography. Mrs. Widseth is survived by daughter, Jane Widseth, a psychologist at Haverford College's Counseling and Psychological Services, her husband, Bruce Partridge, a professor of Astronomy and Physics at Haverford College and their two sons, John, of Washington, D.C. and Carl, a Beloit College student. She also has a son, E. George Widseth, an Assistant County Attorney for Hennepin County, and his wife, Kathy Woxland, a Victim's Service coordinator for Hennepin County. Their children are Ben, a freshman at the University of Michigan and Gabrielle, San Diego County, CA. George also has a daughter, Sunny Arendt, who lives with her husband, Mark, and two small children in Bloomington, MN. Recently, Mrs. Widseth endowed a scholarship for football players who are excellent students and who contribute to the community in other ways; it is called the Janet and Ed Widseth Endowed Scholarship, University of Minnesota. In lieu of flowers contributions in her memory can go to the Widseth Endowed Scholarship, c/o U of M Foundation, 200 Oak Street SE, Suite 500, Minneapolis, MN 55455-2010 or to the League of Women Voters of Minneapolis Education Fund, 81 South 9th Street, Suite 335, Minneapolis, MN 5540. Funeral service Saturday, March 29th, 11:00 am Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church, 27th and Lincoln St NE, Mpls. Visitation one hour before service at church. Private interment Sunset Memorial Park. Washburn-McReavy Northeast Chapel 612-781-6828

Published on March 23, 2003