Obituary: Loraine Solveig (Neesvig) Stevens - Class of 1929

MADISON - Loraine Solveig Neesvig Stevens, age 92, passed away Friday, January 10, 2003, at St. Marys Hospital surrounded by her family. She was born April 19, 1910, in Milwaukee to Leonard and Petra Neesvig. In her youth, her family moved to Madison where she remained the rest of her life. She graduated from Central High School in 1929. She married Rudolph S. Stevens in 1933. She had great faith in God and was a member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, was an active member in the ladies aid, a talented and accomplished artist, and lived and surrounded herself and her family in the old Norwegian traditions. In 1936, Stevens Super Market was started which later became Stevens Restaurant under her son Robert. Rudolph Stevens opened Stevens Dairy Bar in 1940, and on this same location he opened Stevens House of Gifts in 1961. She is survived by her loving and devoted sister, Otella Cook; daughters Marilyn (Richard) Blaschke, Alayne (Don) Macaulay; son Robert L. Stevens; 17 grandchildren, Peter (Elizabeth) Jensen, Dr. James (Sue) Jensen, Marilyn Jensen Vorpagel, Steven (Karen) Blaschke, Ellen Blaschke, Faith (Harry) Blaschke Kirch, Amy Blaschke, Dr. Grant (Kalina) Macaulay, Erik Macaulay, Susan (Bob) Macaulay Kouwe, Mark (Mary) Macaulay, Brent (Vicki) Stevens, Bradley (Kim) Stevens, Nicole Stevens, Robbie (Elizabeth) Stevens, Scott Stevens, Sarah (Jamie) Stevens Rabbitt; and 18 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Rudolph S. Stevens; parents Leonard and Petra Neesvig; sister, Bernice Bjornstad; brother, Robert Neesvig; daughter, Delores (Stevens) Jensen; and son Rudy Stevens. The family would like to give special thanks to her granddaughter, Amy Blaschke and Marc Iverson for their dedicated and loving care of Solveig and for the compassionate care by the staff on 5 S. West at St. Marys Hospital. Funeral services will be held at HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH, 2670 Milwaukee St., Madison at 12 noon on Monday, January 13, 2003, with the Reverend Mark Bartels officiating. Burial will be in Roselawn Memorial Park. Friends may call from 10 a.m. until time of service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Dane County Humane Society, 5132 Voges Rd., Madison or Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 2670 Milwaukee St., Madison. Gunderson West Funeral Home 7435 University Ave. Middleton, Wis. (608)831-6761

Originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal on January 12, 2003