"While enrolled at UW-Madison, I was fortunate to have Dr. Margaret Bogue as an instructor for History of Wisconsin. One of the fondest memories in my entire life came while discussing my draft of a research paper she had assigned our class. As a second year student, I was a little nervous about meeting with professors. But, Dr. Bogue made me feel welcome and comfortable. Her comments about my paper made a positive impact that lingers with me to this day; she said, "You write very well for a Sophomore." I left her office greatly encouraged. Thank you Dr. Bogue, and my condolences to the family. --Guy Herling"
In loving memory of
Margaret Ruth Bogue
June 14, 1924 - March 8, 2018
Madison - Margaret Ruth Bogue, 93, Emeritus History Professor at the University of Wisconsin, died March 8, 2018, at her home in Madison, Wisconsin.
Margaret was born in Washington, D.C. June 14, 1924, to parents James H. Beattie and Maude P. (Rock) Beattie. Margaret grew up near McLean, Virginia where her father ran an experimental farm for the Department of Agriculture. She attended the University of Maryland and received a B.A. (1945). She went on to receive her M.A., Cornell University (1947), and her Ph.D., Cornell University (1955).
Throughout her career, she taught at Vassar College, 1949-51; University of Western Ontario, 1951-52; University of Wisconsin-Extension, 1966-83; Division of Outreach, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1983-1991; Joint Appointment with Department of History, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1989-91; and retired 1991. Margaret was also President (1984) and Fellow (1995) of the Agricultural History Society.
Margaret wrote many books and articles during her career, most notably Patterns from the Sod (1959), Around the Shores of Lake Michigan (1985), Fishing the Great Lakes (2000), and Around the Shores of Lake Superior (2007). In addition, she edited The Jeffersonian Dream by Paul Wallace Gates (edited jointly with Allan G. Bogue).
Her work won numerous awards, including the University of Wisconsin-Extension Distinguished Service Award (1980), University of Wisconsin-Extension Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Teaching (1986), and University of Wisconsin-Madison Van Hise Outreach Award for Excellence in Teaching (1991). In 2015 The Midwestern History Association awarded her its first annual Frederick Jackson Turner Award, which is bestowed on an individual for lifetime service to Midwestern history.
For 66 years, Margaret was married to Allan G. Bogue, also a former American History Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The two met in graduate school at Cornell University and married in 1950. Allan passed in August 2016. Allan and Margaret followed their passion for American History while raising three daughters--often taking vacations to historical sites and even following the Lewis and Clark Trail. The family also spent time overseas in Sweden while Allan was on a teaching sabbatical at the University of Uppsala in 1968.
They shared a love of the great outdoors, camping, and canoeing and had a lake home in Northern Wisconsin where they spent vacations every summer. Margaret's passion for the outdoors and history converged when she wrote Around the Shores of Lake Superior, Around the Shores of Lake Michigan, and her final book, Fishing the Great Lakes.
She was a feminist from the beginning, carving out a career in a male-dominated field all while managing to raise her family, too. Her example was followed by her three daughters, who have all had successful careers in different fields.
Margaret Bogue is survived by daughter, Susan L. Bogue, DeKalb, IL; daughter, Margaret E. Bogue-Harper and her husband, Paul Harper, Minneapolis, MN; daughter, Ellie E. Bogue and her husband, Steve Linsenmayer, Fort Wayne, IN; grandson, Alex Linsenmayer, Fort Wayne, IN; and granddaughter, Rachelle Linsenmayer, Baltimore, MD.
Cress Funeral & Cremation Service
3610 Speedway Road, Madison
608-238-3434
Tributes
"All of us at the University of Wisconsin Press loved Margaret. As an author, she was always professional and a joy to work with. As a person, she was a complete delight. We send condolences to you but know that you surely carry so many wonderful memories of Margaret and Al in your hearts, as do we."
"Margaret's spirit lives on in so many ways. When I was a teacher, I took a summer class on black history taught by Margaret. It so inspired me that, as part of the class, I developed a unit on slavery for my fifth grade students using old newspaper resources at the Wisconsin State Historical Society. The students were fascinated by these resources. History really came alive, an enthusiasm and engagement that Margaret shared with all of us taking the class. I, in turn, shared the unit with other fifth grade teachers, and the influence of her work spread to others. As an educator for more than forty years, I look back fondly over my experience in meeting Margaret and learning from her. Her life has been truly a beautiful inspiration and spirit for all of us."
"I had Dr. Bogue as an instructor while at UW-Madison. She was so inspiring as a lecturer and as the discussion leader. She had a way of commanding the room. She helped me learn how to research beyond the obvious. A great lady and we were lucky to learn from her."
"Margaret and Al lived in my neighborhood, and she additionally served on Historic Madison's board with me. One night we held a meeting at their home, and I started to drool when I saw she had her own microfilm reading stashed in the corner. Clearly I was just an amateur. tm"
"One of the joys of dropping in on Al, my mentor, was visiting with Margaret and being pommeled by the dogs. The two were infectiously alive, interested and restless and obviously so intertwine with each others lives and hearts that they became an exemplar for me. One cannot think about Al without Margaret or she without him, sharing a wonderful life of intellectual adventure, a welcoming home and walking great white dogs."
"Your mother was a wonderful woman -- kind, generous, and ever so smart. As a historian, she was a meticulous researcher and so insightful. I learned so much from your parents! I will hold them in my heart always. My condolences to all of you in your loss."