Judith Kathryn Male

Judith Kathryn Male stepped into the arms of Jesus on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, two days before her 76th birthday. Surrounded by the family she cherished, Judy completed a six-and-a-half-year journey with cancer with the same quiet grace and resilient spirit that defined her life.

Born in Gillett Grove, Iowa to Charles and Kay Nelson, Judy’s heart was shaped on the family farm, where she spent her childhood riding her favorite horse, Sparkle. She later raised her family in Cassville, Wisconsin, beautifully balancing a career as a dental hygienist with a life of service to her family, church, and community. In 2015, she moved to Somerset, Wisconsin, to be near her children and grandchildren.

Judy was a woman of deep compassion who believed every person was worthy of unconditional love. Her devotion to humbly loving all around her was rooted in her faith. She often leaned on her favorite Bible verse, Proverbs 3:5-6:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

Judy had a gift for making everything more beautiful. At her lake home she and her husband remodeled in 2016, Judy welcomed family and friends with loving hospitality. She found joy in simple things like sipping coffee on her porch at sunrise, tending her pretty flowers, fishing with family, and walking her faithful Weimaraner, Lucy. Her kitchen was a warm sanctuary where baking and cooking were her ways of saying "I love you." Her greatest happiness was watching her nine grandchildren play in the lake; they always felt so loved by "Grandma Judy," who wouldn't hesitate to sit in the sand and make sand castles with them.

When her illness spread in February, Judy met the days ahead with admirable bravery, choosing the gentle care of hospice to spend her final hours enveloped in the love of her husband and children.

Judy is survived by her devoted husband, Clyde Male; her mother, Kay Mugge; her children, Katie (Art) Howard, Bryan (Maggie) Johnson, Jessica (Brandon) Friederick, and Kristin (Darren) Allen; and her nine precious grandchildren, Landon, Ava, Coen, Sienna, Benson, Penny, Jane, Paxton, and Evelyn. She was preceded in death by her father, Charles Nelson, and her brothers, Patrick and David Nelson.

Her life will be celebrated privately by family at her lake home. To honor Judy’s tender and loving spirit, please perform an act of genuine kindness: share a warm cup of coffee with someone you love, deliver fresh muffins to someone who is lonely, or surprise a neighbor with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a note of encouragement. Judy will be dearly missed by so many, but her impact will continue on through those blessed by her love.