Betty Mae (Lange) Kossak

Betty Mae (Lange) Kossak was born on August 6, 1929 in Superior, WI the daughter of beloved father William Lange and Sylvia (Johnson) Lange.

She died Friday, April 22, 2011 in her home and now is able to be joined with her best friend, confident, true soul mate and husband, Ed.

Betty and Ed (all one word to many) were married on August 26, 1961. It was a fun and exciting ride. They enjoyed entertaining friends at “The Lake”, traveling together, visiting their adopted families and friends, and just being together.

She attended Ericson School in Superior, WI and graduated from Central High School in 1947. She then graduated from Superior Normal School in 1951 with her Bachelor in Education.

Betty Mae then began her lifelong passion; teaching, in Superior, WI for thirty-nine years, thirty-seven of those years were at Cooper School where countless students and families met, learned and loved Miss Betty Lange/Mrs. Kossak.

Early on, she earned her Master’s Degree in Education Administration. Over the years, on top of the active schedule Betty and Ed maintained, Betty was an organ/piano accompanist at many wedding and funerals in the area for over twenty years. She also enjoyed creating many biographic books complete with hand drawn pictures based on the lives of some of her young friends, giving these masterpieces to the main characters of the books.

During Betty Mae’s fulfilling and rewarding years of teaching and prior to her retiring in 1990, she participated and received awards locally and on the state level in a variety of academic areas. She was the recipient of several grants for innovative teaching strategies.

She was chairperson of the instructional delivery committee at the state level for the Wisconsin Special Education Council. She was actively involved in several organizations and activities including SFT 202. She served on the Superior Special Education LEA and various state and local curriculum committees.

Beyond her professional memberships she was a charter member, board member and past president of the UW-S Alumni Association. She received the president award in 1967. She was a member of the UW-S Foundation, Founders Club, and several other professional organizations. She also belonged to the Moose Club, The Elks 403, Clef and White Shrine among other organizations in the community.

Those who preceded her in death include Ed, her husband, of forty-eight years, her parents and an infant brother.

Betty is survived by a sister, close friends and caregivers John and Betsy Nye, Mike Jahr, Judy Hack, Irene Peterson, Kathy Empie Spencer, Ann Marie Novack and countless friends (many of whom are former students) and extended family living throughout the country as well as her constant companion, K.C. the cat.

Visitation will begin at 11:00 AM, Thursday, April 28, 2011 in the Downs-LeSage Funeral Home, 1304 Hammond Avenue, Superior and continue until the 12:00 PM memorial service with former student and longtime friend, Lay Pastor, Gary Banker of Concordia Lutheran Church officiating.

Honorary pallbearers will be Mike Jahr, Judy Hack, Irene Peterson, Kathy Empie Spencer, Ed Anderson and Christopher Nye.

Should friends desire, memorials may be made to the UWS Scholarship Fund Edward and Betty Kossak Scholarship or to the Superior School District Scholarship Committee for the soon to be created Edward and Betty Kossak Scholarship.

To leave an online condolence or to sign the guestbook, please visit www.downs-lesage.com.