With God holding one hand and Jesus holding the other, Arlene "Sunny" Eberhardt was led Home on Saturday, July 13, 2024. Sunny was born on August 24, 1937 to John and Elenor (Schultz) Schumann in Chicago, Illinois. Her family moved to Elkhorn, Wisconsin at the beginning of Sunny's sophomore year, and she graduated from Elkhorn High School in 1955. She attended U.W. Whitewater to pursue her dream of becoming an elementary school teacher, graduating in 1959. On August 22 of that same year, she married Richard D. Eberhardt. "Dick" passed away in 2009, a few months before they would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. In 1970, their cherished son Douglas John (D.J. to the family) arrived.

Sunny was a firm believer that learning is a lifelong activity, that learning never ends. She not only earned her Master's Degree from Cardinal Stritch, but continued taking classes and earning many more credits throughout her 41 years in the field of education. In 1996 she received the "Crystal Apple Award," given to outstanding educators who make a difference. Sunny held positions of reading supervisor, substitute, home-bound teacher and classroom teacher in several school districts, finishing her career as a second grade teacher at Westside Elementary in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Sunny enjoyed reading, sewing, arts and crafts, refinishing and reupholstering furniture, volunteering, and back in her youth, swimming. Her greatest joy and pleasure in life however was her family.

Left here on earth, missing her dearly, are her son Doug (Becky) Eberhardt, four grandsons, Jacob, Mason, Nicholas(Saria) and Christopher Eberhardt, bonus grandson Cody Balsamo, sister Dani (Tim) Brellenthin, nieces Laina (Mark) Papenfus and Nici (Kevin) Papenfus, great-nieces Emma (Alex Tomter) and Sarah (Michael) Staven, great-nephew Alex Papenfus, and great-great-nephew Finn Staven.

Sunny was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her great-niece, Margaret Anne.

Sunny will be buried next to Dick and her parents at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Elkhorn, with the Rev. Dick Inglett officiating a private family service. A Celebration of Life will be held at Buck and Honey's in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin on her birthday, August 24th, from noon until 4:00p.m.  Memorials in Sunny's name can be made to the Sun Prairie Public Library, where Sunny loved to take her grandsons, Agrace Hospice facility in Fitchburg, where Sunny was so well cared for and loved upon at the end of her life, or a charity of your choice.

*The family is so grateful for and thankful to so many cherished friends for all the love, kindness and care they poured on Sunny as she finished her journey here. The delicious treats she ate with such relish, the amazing flowers that made her room look and smell like a floral shop, beautiful and adorable cards with personal messages that delighted her, phone calls that cheered her, and welcomed visits that filled her head with wonderful memories and her heart with so much joy. (She also enjoyed her 4 footed visitors.) What a tremendous blessing to go Home feeling so loved! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who helped make that happen.  On online guestbook for Sunny can be found at www.haaselockwoodfhs.com.

Sun Prairie Public Library
1350 Linnerud Drive, Sun Prairie WI 53590

Agrace Hospice Fitchburg
5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Fitchburg WI 53711