Harry Ward

Harry "Neil" Ward, age 77 of Mount Horeb, WI, formerly of Darlington, WI passed away Saturday, November 11, 2023 at UW-Hospital in Madison, WI. He was born July 24, 1946, in Madison, WI the son of Harry H. "Bud" and Hazel (Hanson) Ward-Gould. Neil grew up on the family farm in Willow Springs Township in Lafayette County, WI until 1958 when his father was killed in a traffic accident. The family then moved into the city of Darlington. In 8th grade, Neil transferred to Madison East High School for the hearing impaired. He graduated in 1966 and attended MATC where he learned the art of baking. Following college, Neil raised his family in Mount Horeb and lived there the rest of his life. Neil is survived by his daughters: Amy (Zach Miller) Eisele of Mount Horeb and Angela Hahn of Milton, WI; his grandchildren: Bekett Eisele and Maddie Hahn; three bonus grandchildren: Easton, Bentley, and Anika Miller; the mother of his children: Caroline Ward; his step-siblings: Nancy (Bernie) Ruf, George (Mary) Gould, and Mike (Pam) Gould all of Darlington, and Connie (Dave) Depover of Juneau, WI; and several nieces, nephews, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; his step-father: Robert Gould; three brothers: Walter Ward, Gary Ward, and Gerald Ward in infancy; two step-siblings: Kathryn Coheen and Eugene Gould; and two sisters-in-law: Patricia Ward and Carol Ward-Vickerman. Neil was a social butterfly and never met a stranger. He loved to do various things that allowed him to share stories and laughs with his friends such as playing cards at the Mount Horeb Senior Center, bowling, golfing, throwing horseshoes, and playing catch with his daughters. He was an avid sports fan and always cheered on the Wisconsin Badgers, Green Bay Packers, and Darlington Redbirds. Neil always kept track of the changing weather and made sure to let his family know what was coming their way. He also had a special saying: "nobody tells me nothing." More than anything, Neil loved his grandchildren and always cherished the time he spent with them. He made sure that they all knew how proud he was of them. He loved tickling and watching TV with Bekett and reading books with Maddie. A memorial service will be held Monday, November 27, 2023, at 11:00 A.M. at Erickson Funeral Home (508 Main St., Darlington) with Rev. Nick McElrath of First Baptist Church in Darlington officiating. Burial will be in Union Grove Cemetery. A visitation will be held Monday, November 27, 2023, from 9:30 A.M. until 10:45 A.M. at Erickson Funeral Home in Darlington. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.ericksonfuneralhome.com. For those who prefer, a memorial fund has been established in Neil's name. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Rue, a CNA at Vita Care Assisted Living and his special friend Brynn for their compassionate and loving care they extended to Neil.