Mollyann G. Emerson was born on Sept. 11, 1942, in Beaver Dam to Clarence and Gertrude (Schutte) Buschkopf. She graduated from Beaver Dam High School in 1960 and went on to earn her LPN degree from MATC Nursing School.
Mollyann worked for several years with emotionally disturbed children at the Wisconsin Diagnostic Center. On Sept. 12, 1964, she married Richard Emerson at Trinity Methodist Church in Beaver Dam. In 1966, they moved from Madison to DeForest. After the birth of her son, Scott, in 1966, she became a full-time mother and did bookwork for the DeForest Times Publishing Co. In 1968, she gave birth to a second son, James, and joined with her husband to publish the DeForest Times-Tribune. They published the weekly newspaper and a shopper for 30 years and eventually purchased the Poynette Press, which they published for several years.
After selling the newspapers, she worked for the Head Start programs at DeForest and Sun Prairie and, later, worked as a substitute aide in the DeForest School District.
Molly was a member of Christ Lutheran Church, where she enjoyed Sunday worship services; the Wine, Women and Word meetings; ushering; and serving as a confirmation mentor. She volunteered for the Bethel Sales Group in Madison and the Beaver Dam Lake Improvement Association. She also attended every school sporting event and special program that her granddaughters, Kya and Isabelle, participated in.
Molly died Dec. 9, 2017, at UW Hospital. She and her husband of 53 years, Richard, had two sons and two grandchildren.
