Obituaries

Lillian F. Bolton

Lillian F. Bolton

Dec 11, 2017

Lillian F. Bolton, 101, of La Crosse, died on Monday, December 11, 2017 at the Bethany-Riverside Care Center. She was born on December 26, 1915 in Council Bluffs, IA to Wladislaw “Ladis” and Lillian (Schugardt) Kinder. Lillian had worked in payroll at Swanson Blue Star in Council Bluffs. She moved to California and began working as a bookkeeper...

Sara Marie Norton

Sara Marie Norton

Dec 10, 2017

Sara M. Norton passed away early in the morning on December 10th. She went peacefully and without pain in her hospital bed. Sara was 68 years old. She was born to Christopher and Eunice Fleming on December 19th, 1949. A proud Alumni of Aquinas High School. She married Gary J. Norton on July 5th, 1975. Sara had served as...

Alice Kramer

Alice Kramer

Dec 10, 2017

Alice Marie Kramer, 90, of Onalaska, passed away on Saturday, December 10, 2017, at the Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse.

She was born February 4, 1927, in La Crosse, to Arthur and Blanche Marcus. She married Elmer Vern Kramer on July 29, 1944.

Survivors include her son, Tony (Jane); daughters, Patricia (Goodwin) Hass...

Carol Kaiser

Carol Kaiser

Dec 9, 2017

Carol J. Kaiser passed away on Saturday, December 9, 2017 at the Gundersen Health System in La Crosse.

She was born to Ray and Marie (Klahn) Lichtie on October 30, 1932, at St. Ann’s hospital in La Crosse. Carol married Bernard “Fritz” Kaiser on August 31, 1949, at St. Joseph’s Cathedral and they were blessed with 6...

Verna Stange

Verna Stange

Dec 8, 2017

Verna Stange passed away peacefully on Friday, December 8, 2017, at Bethany-Riverside. She was born in Blair, Wisconsin to Ansel and Leona (Niedfeldt) Ustby. She graduated from Blair High School in 1956. She met her future husband, John “Jack” Stange, when they both worked at the Bodega Restaurant in downtown La Crosse. They married on June 10, 1961. Jack...

Arthur "Art" Engh

Arthur "Art" Engh

Dec 7, 2017

Arthur “Art” LeRoy Engh, 76, of La Crosse, passed away at his home on Thursday, December 7, 2017.

Art was born July 22, 1941, to Oscar and Alida (Lunde) Engh on the family farm in rural Westby. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church in Viroqua and spent his childhood in the Viroqua area, attending...

Raymond C. Hengel

Raymond C. Hengel

Dec 4, 2017

Raymond C. Hengel, 84, passed away on December 4, 2017. He was born January 3, 1933, in La Crosse to Raymond N. and Dorothy (Love) Hengel. Raymond served in the Army from 1953 until his discharge in 1955.

He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. On July 14, 1956, Raymond married Jean Hilmoe at...

Robert "Bob" L. Klapper

Robert "Bob" L. Klapper

Dec 4, 2017

Robert L. (Bob) Klapper died peacefully at Gundersen Health System on Dec. 4, 2017 in La Crosse, Wisconsin at the age of 72.

Bob is survived by his beloved wife and best friend, Nance; daughters, June (Jerry) Schumacher and Lori (Jeff) Merkes; stepchildren, Anne Streckenbach and special friend, Dan, and Joseph (Kerry) Dereszynski; grandchildren, Brooklynn Allen, Brandon...

Wendy Kay Hart

Wendy Kay Hart

Dec 4, 2017

Wendy K. Hart, 41 of La Crosse, died unexpectedly from complications of Pneumonia and Sepsis on Sunday, December 3, 2017 at the Gundersen Health System, La Crosse. She was born in La Crosse on December 7, 1975 to Leslie E. and Anita M. (Dick) Hart III.

Wendy graduated from Onalaska High School in 1995. She enjoyed singing...

Richard L. Elsen

Richard L. Elsen

Dec 1, 2017

Dick was born to Richard J. and Hermina (Mayer) Elsen on June 4, 1927. He died on Friday, December 1, 2017 at the age of 90. He attended Logan High School in La Crosse. He left Wisconsin in his senior year to enlist in the U. S. Marine Corps for four years during WWII. He met his future wife...

Virginia L. Williams

Virginia L. Williams

Nov 29, 2017

Virginia L. Williams, 84 of Brainerd, Minn., and formerly of La Crescent, Minn., died Wednesday, November 29, 2017 at the Good Samaritan Society Bethany Home in Brainerd. Virginia was born January 16, 1933 in La Crescent, Minnesota to Edward and Louise Spangler and grew up in La Crescent along with her four brothers; Stanley, Donald, Robert and James. She...

Stephen "Steve" Sprehn

Stephen "Steve" Sprehn

Nov 28, 2017

November 22, 1947, twin boys born to Bill and Dorothy! November 28, 2017, Steve, just 70, died peacefully in his home with his wife of 49 years close by. Steve married his high school sweet heart, Sue Lovold, on August 31, 1968. They together journeyed through thin and thick, poorer and richer, health and sickness. Steve loved his family...

Norma Elaine Hammon

Norma Elaine Hammon

Nov 28, 2017

Norma Elaine Hammon, 62, died at home in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on Tuesday evening, November 28th, 2017, under hospice care and amid the help of a loyal circle of loving family and friends. Norma and husband John M. (Marty) Osmundsen had been together for 35 years. They met in Decorah, Iowa, and lived adventurously in Hawai'i for 11 years...

Constance "Connie" Rutz

Constance "Connie" Rutz

Nov 28, 2017

Constance “Connie” Rutz passed away on Tuesday, November 28th, 2017, at the age of 56, just 19 days after her cancer diagnosis, with family by her side.

She was born in La Crosse to Robert and Harriet (Kaiser) Johnson on Easter Sunday, April 2, 1961. She married Bruce Neas in April of 1983. They together had two...

Helen Louise Harms

Helen Louise Harms

Nov 28, 2017

Helen Louise Harms, 90, of Onalaska, died on Tuesday, November 28, 2017 at the Onalaska Care Center. She was born on July 15, 1927 in Isle, MN to Arthur and Bertha (Munkelwitz) Harms. Helen spent eight years in Africa with the Peace Corps and US AID where she taught English and music. She then worked for many years...

Carol Lee Gainer

Carol Lee Gainer

Nov 27, 2017

On November 26, 2017, Carol Lee Wiggins Olson Gainer went joyfully to the Summerland accompanied by her beloved horse Copper King (1954-1988) in spirit. She was born in 1942 in Winona, MN to Leland Edward Wiggins and his wife, Mabel Cecilia (Johnson) Wiggins. She graduated from Winona Senior High School and attended Luther College and University of Wisconsin-Madison. She...

Charlie Smith

Charlie Smith

Nov 24, 2017

Charles “Charlie” Smith, 46, of La Crosse, died on Friday, November 24, 2017 at his home. He was born on March 16, 1971 in La Crosse to Oliver and Patricia (Stover) Smith. He married Emily Hauser on August 5, 2005 in La Crosse.

Charlie’s life was cut short, but each moment was jam-packed with love and laughter....

Judy Ann Gray

Judy Ann Gray

Nov 22, 2017

Judy A. Gray, 78 of Onalaska, Wis., died on Wednesday, November 22, 2017 at Hillview Health Care in La Crosse.  She was born in Pontiac, Michigan on October 11, 1939 to Carl and Ruth (Harmer) Horner. Judy graduated from Walled Lake High School in Walled Lake, Michigan in 1957 and Eastern Michigan University with a degree in Education in...

Ruth M. Marnach

Ruth M. Marnach

Nov 21, 2017

Ruth M. Marnach, 94 of La Crosse, died on Tuesday, November 21, 2017 at Bethany Riverside Nursing Facility. She was born in La Crosse on December 19, 1922 to Joseph and Helen (Kabat) Verse. She married Arnold Marnach and he preceded her in death. Ruth will be remembered as a devoted loving mother to her only child Mary Jean...

Howard D. Brown

Howard D. Brown

Nov 20, 2017

Howard D. Brown, 62, of La Crosse died on Monday, November 20, 2017 in his home. He was born on July 9, 1955 in La Crosse, WI to Leroy and Beverly (Wensole) Brown. Howard had worked at Schilling Supply Co. retiring in 2016. He was Packer fan, an avid reader and enjoyed cycling.

He is survived by...