Ellen Folsom

Ellen Folsom (nee Pinkham), 91, died Friday, July 21, at Care-Age of Brookfield. She was born in Quincy, MA, on December 4, 1925, the daughter of Herbert W. and Elizabeth A. (Potter) Pinkham. She was the wife, for 59 years, of Gordon R. Folsom, who pre-deceased her. She leaves her daughters, Betsey Folsom, of Milwaukee, and Susan (Mark) Berman of Kingston, Rhode Island.

She was a graduate of the University of New Hampshire. From 1953-2009, she lived in Waukesha, where she was a leader in organizations, including the Girl Scouts, the Waukesha Symphony Auxiliary, Waukesha Civic Theater, and the League of Women Voters, among many others. She was a consummate volunteer, who gave generously of her time and talent in service to the community including doing makeup for the Madrigal Dinners at UWW. She was a member of the Benjamin Goss Bird Club, Altrusa, the Ideal Club, the Carroll Faculty Women’s Organization, served on the Landmarks Commission, and Waukesha Council on Human Relation, as well as a volunteer for the Waukesha Victims Assistance Program. With her husband, she led Great Books and Play-Reading groups. She visited and taught knitting and reading to young women in prison. She served on environmental councils, and was active in preserving and promoting access to local history, as a docent at Hawk’s Inn and with active membership in a number of museums and historical societies.

She made a home for her family and enabled her daughters to make their own homes, where their mother will be missed and, more important, remembered with appreciation and love.

The funeral will be private.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity of your choice.