BERQUIST, Nancy Jean

The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona, Wednesday, February 05, 2014 Nancy Jean (Farquharson) Berquist was born Dec. 1, 1930, in Berwin, Ill. She grew up in Western Springs, Ill., where her father was village president. Nancy was the third child of Francis and Marie Farquharson. Her older sisters include Betty Walters of Elgin, Ill., and Carol Overly of Prescott, Ariz. Educated in the public schools of Western Springs and Lyons Township High School in neighboring La Grange, Nancy attended Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, where she met and later married Goodwin Berquist of Hamden, Conn. They have nine nieces and nephews but no children of their own. Delayed by family illness, Nancy later completed her B.S. degree in social work at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where her husband was employed as a professor in the Department of Speech. The Berquists were fortunate to travel abroad - three times to Europe and later to Malaysia in Southeast Asia, where he taught and she served as an academic counselor. Nancy and Goodie spent 25 happy years together at a summer cottage on Washington Island, Wis., at the northern tip of Door County. They then built a year-round home to which they retired for 11 more years. On the island, Nancy headed the Art and Nature Center and played a key role in the establishment of summer chamber music festivals. Goodie's work took them to Ohio State University, the University of Wisconsin and Dartmouth College. The Berquists moved to Prescott in 2000. Here they were active volunteers in the Smoki Museum and Granite Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Loved by all, Nancy's cheerful personality and delicious homemade cookies will be sorely missed by her many friends. A Celebration of Life service in her honor will be at Granite Peak, 882 Sunset Ave., Prescott, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014, at 5 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please send contributions in Nancy's memory to Summer Music Festival, Trueblood Performing Arts Center, 870 Main Road, Washington Island, WI 54246. Information provided by survivors.