Elizabeth M. Hilgendorf

Elizabeth was born on July 14, 1929 to Pastor Arthur and Beata Fergin in St. Paul, Minnesota. Growing up in Antigo, Wisconsin Elizabeth started taking piano at a young age. She excelled in piano performance and received a music scholarship to attend St. Louis Institute of Music graduating with a Bachelor degree in music for piano theory and teaching. After graduating in 1951, she settled in Milwaukee to build her class teaching piano. During that time she played organ for church services and accompanied the choir. She worked part-time at JCPenney in the shoe department where she met her future husband Robert Hilgendorf. Married in 1953, they moved to several locations out west, before settling back in Milwaukee. Upon returning she took a job at Minnesota fabrics, where she learned to sew and made some wonderful friends. Once her children were old enough and in grade school, she desired to teach piano again. She secured a job at Lincoln Music House teaching piano. Building a reputation for herself her class grew exponentially. Eventually, she ventured out on her own and taught lessons 6 days a week in her home basement studio. Liz had high expectations for all her students, and if you ask any of them they would agree. She enjoyed teaching and felt it kept her mind sharp. She was a long time member of Milwaukee Music Teachers Association, Wisconsin Federation Music Club, and eventually Harmony Club. She taught up until 2020. Besides piano, she enjoyed the symphony, opera, reading, baking, a variety of crafts, gardening, tending to her numerous indoor plants and loved to sew while listening to classical music. Her life was met with many challenges, having two of her four children with special needs and her own health issues later in life. Through it all, she always had a positive attitude, vibrant personality, kindness towards others and perseverance.

The family would like to thank Brighton Hospice, and the staff at Lexington Heritage assisted living for providing comfort and care, especially Juanita, JoJo, Kelly, Ashley, Samantha, Julianna, and McKenna.

Although her faith was tested many times in her life, Liz was a Christian and knew that through her baptism and faith in Christ our Savior she would one day receive the crown of life.

Visitation Friday, January 20, 2023 at 10 AM at St. John's Lutheran Church, 6802 W. Forest Home Ave., Greenfield, WI 53220, followed by the Funeral Service at 12 Noon. Interment at St. John's Lutheran Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. John's Lutheran Church are appreciated.