Rachel Ellen (Braaten) Studt was freed from a rare form of young onset dementia, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, on Jan. 7, 2020, at the age of 53.
She was born June 12, 1967, to Duane and Joy (Smith) Braaten in Seattle. Her family moved to Mankato, Minn., where Rachel grew up and graduated from Mankato West High School in 1985. Rachel graduated from Luther College in 1989 with honors with a degree in teaching. Later, she attended the University of Iowa graduating with a Master’s Degree in Library Science. Rachel’s passion was children’s literature. She was a children’s librarian at the Gail Borden Library in Elgin, Ill., until marrying Larry Studt ’90 on May 21, 1994, in Mankato, Minn. Rachel became a full-time homemaker raising three children: Claire, Laurel, and Nathan. Rachel will be remembered for her piano playing and accompanying skills, singing in numerous choirs, her bell ringing with Trinity Tollers, her organizational skills, the love of her family, the love of being outside, her skillful card playing, her friendships with so many, volunteering for many things, her courageous fight with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, and so much more.
She is survived by her husband Larry Studt ‘90 and their children Claire, Laurel Studt ‘22, and Nathan; mother, Joy Braaten (Mankato, Minn.); sister, Erika (Rob) Allen, and their children Connor and Annika. She was preceded in death by her father, Duane, grandparents Ole and Eva (Johnson) Braaten and Bernard and Doris (Grimm) Smith.
A small, private service was held Jan. 30, 2021, at Hulke Funeral Home in Eau Claire, Wis., followed by a gravesite gathering. When the pandemic is no longer a factor, there will be a celebration of Rachel’s life where there will be singing, fellowship, and remembrance, as Rachel wanted when she planned her funeral in March of 2020.
The family would like to thank her team of doctors and providers, Dr. Binu Philip, Dr. Jon Konzen, Meg McCabe-Schultz APNP, Dr. Kidess, Dr. Caporusso, Linda Odness CCC-SLP, Shannon Birkholz DPT, Jenna Goebel, the staff of Grace Woodlands Memory Care, Toni from Visiting Angels, the staff at the Eau Claire County Aging Disability and Resource Center (ADRC), Inclusa, and so many others that have assisted Rachel and our family over the years.
Per family wishes, memorials may be made in memory of Rachel to the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library’s “Storybuilder Capital Campaign Fund” at the Eau Claire Community Foundation (ECCF), 306 S. Barstow St. Suite 104, Eau Claire, WI 54701 or donate online at www.eccfwi.org.
Hulke Family Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 3209 Rudolph Road, Eau Claire, WI 54701 assisted the family with the arrangements.