Barbarann Othilja (Bergsrud) Martineau

Barb was born February 18, 1942 in Spring Grove, MN, the second child of Edwin and Olive (Myhre) Bergsrud.  She graduated from Spring Grove High School in 1960 and followed her older brother, Ben, to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.  Barb did her teaching practicum at Marine on St. Croix in 1964 and in the fall of that same year she accepted a full-time teaching position and would remain with the Stillwater School District for thirty-four years.  During her career she taught first grade at Marine on St. Croix (1964-1966), Lily Lake Elementary (1966-1975), and Afton-Lakeland Elementary (1975-1998).

While a student at UWRF, Barb met Dave Martineau and they were married in 1966.  The couple lived in Stillwater, MN until they built their home east of Hudson, WI in 1970.  That same year, Barb earned her Master’s Degree in Education from UWRF and she and Dave welcomed their first child, Denise, in the summer of 1970.  Their family was made complete with the arrival of their son, Daniel, in 1975.

Barb enjoyed spending relaxing summers reading while floating in the back yard pool and she and Dave treasured their friendships made in the Hudson co-rec softball league playing for the Mike’s Standard team.  Barb volunteered at the Phipps Center and was an avid fan of Hudson High School soccer and basketball.  In 1986, Barb and Dave found their second dream home on Big Round Lake, WI where Barb did her best to reduce the large mouth bass population every chance she got.  She was the captain of her pontoon boat, “”Teacher’s Pet