On December 12, 2022, Bertha Clara Digman passed peacefully from this life at St. Clare Friedensheim in Monroe at the age of 96. A life-long resident of Monroe, Bertha was born there on January 17, 1926, the daughter of Frieda (Schenkel) Jenny and Benjamin Jenny, a descendant of some of the first Swiss immigrants to New Glarus. With Swiss roots in Glarus and Berne, she loved all things Swiss, including cows and cheese, and fittingly grew up on a 200-acre dairy farm near Monroe. She worked various jobs in town including the Monroe Clinic, the bank, and Bruni Miller’s.
Bertha married Red (Frank) Digman on Oct. 23, 1948, and they had one son, William Frank, on Dec. 9, 1961. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her son, her two brothers, Ralph Jenny of Janesville and Rudy Jenny of Juda, and her nephew Dr. Donald Jenny, formerly of Chapel Hill, NC. She is greatly loved by two nieces, Jean Jenny of Milwaukee (formerly Juda) and Dr. Carolyn Tennant of Minneapolis. Bertha was blessed with many friends who have cared for her, especially Marilyn DeNure and Sherry Anderegg, both of Monroe.
Bertha Digman was a member of the St. John’s United Church for Christ where she was active, serving on the Church Council for six years, as Chairman of the Nomination Committee for twelve years, as Chairman of the Women’s Guild, and as a member of the Worship Committee.
Her service continued to the Cheese Days Parade where her father also enjoyed participating in various creative and humorous ways in every parade. Bertha was honored to be a Cheese Days Parade Marshal in 2018. She started passing out cheese samples as a teen, joined the “revelers” who promoted the parade at local businesses, and served on the Cheese Days Retail Committee which she went on to co-chair for many years.
A great commitment of Bertha’s was the Monroe Turner Hall. She spent hours researching and preserving the history of the Turner Hall which was in danger of being lost. She searched the library archives, numerous newspaper articles, and much other scattered historical artifacts to gather together a documentation of this unusual piece of history. She was on the Board of Turner Hall and volunteered her services in a wide variety of ways. Bertha could be found at many Swiss events and celebrations with her own Swiss genealogy also being of particular interest.
Bertha also loved to sing and was a member of the Swiss Singers for 25 years, learning Swiss songs in the original language and traveling to numerous places for competition with other Swiss singing groups around the world. Before the Swiss Singers, she participated with the Sweet Adelines.
Bertha was known to all as a cheerful and uncomplaining person who was kind and thoughtful. She will be greatly missed by numerous close and loving friends and her nieces.
Following cremation, there will be a Remembrance Celebration of her Life at a time to be determined in the spring of 2023. Shriner Hager Gohlke Funeral Home is assisting the family.
