Kit Marie Ulman, or Miss Kit, as her piano students were fond of calling her, age 70, passed away at home in Beaver Dam on July 3rd, 2024, after a short battle with end stage complications from ALS.
The memorial gathering will be at Trinity Church United Methodist in Beaver Dam on Saturday, July 13, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. The memorial service will follow at church on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. with Rev. Eric Taylor officiating. Inurnment will follow at Oakwood Cemetery in Beaver Dam.
Kit was born in Hustisford, Wisconsin on May 17, 1954, the daughter of Harold and Elaine Guenther, of Reeseville, Wisconsin. She attended the Lowell/Reeseville School and graduated from Dodgeland High School in 1972. After high school, she attended UW-Madison, receiving a bachelor’s degree in music education, in 1976.
She married Steve Wylesky in 1976, and to this union, she was blessed with two children. Kit later married Mitchell L. Ulman on July 14, 2001 at Trinity Church United Methodist in Beaver Dam.
Kits passion was music. Her mother started her on the piano at age 4, after which she received piano lessons from Marion Yerges throughout her elementary and high school years. After graduating college, her first job was band director at St. Peter’s School in Beaver Dam from 1976 until 1980. She was also an assistant band director at St. Jerome’s School in Columbus. At this time, she began teaching piano lessons at various places through the years, including Kamrath’s Inc. of Beaver Dam. In 2000, she taught piano at Trinity Church until she retired after 42 years from piano teaching in 2019.
Kit was a former member of the UCC Church in Reeseville until about 1974. She then became a member of Trinity Church. In 1992 she began playing piano and organ at church for Sunday services. Over the years, she accompanied the choir and many special music groups. She also played with the Praise Band and played for many weddings and funerals. She retired from her position at the church in 2022, after 30 years of music ministry.
Kit also enjoyed working with area music teachers, accompanying their students at solo and ensemble events. She played piano for many of the Red Kettle concerts, was a guest musician at the UCC church in Reeseville, performed with her sibling’s saxophone quartet many times, and played with her mother and step fathers’ band, The Mellow Tones.
Kit loved spending time up north at our trailer in the woods where she could read books and sit around the campfire visiting with family and friends. Kit wasn’t afraid of a little manual labor either; mowing lawn and raking leaves. She also enjoyed decorating the inside of her home and keeping things looking sharp.
Kit is survived by her husband, Mitchell Ulman; son, David C. Wylesky; daughter, Dawn M. Wylesky (Anthony Bublitz); granddaughter, Journey Sofia Bublitz, all of Beaver Dam; her brother, Kurt (Susan) Guenther of Waukesha; two sisters, Kristie Ely of Sun Prairie and Amy (Brian) Donahoe of Waukesha; half-sister, Jill (Matt) Hanson of Stoughton; many cousins; nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; Harold and Elaine Guenther; step father Harvey Ansay; and first husband, Steve Wylesky.
