Obit: Guenther, Melvin F. (1906 - 2005)

Contact:  Crystal Wendt

Surnames: Guenther, Rudolph, Gau, Cahmpeau, Christiansen, Welk, Forbish, Wiedenhoeft

----Sources: Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, Wood County, Wis.) Sat, Aug 27, 2005

Guenther, Melvin F. (7 Jan. 1906 - 24 Aug. 2005)

STRATFORD - Melvin F. Guenther, 99, of Stratford died Aug. 24, 2005, in the emergency room at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 1 p.m. today at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Stratford, with the Rev. Thomas J. Rudolph officiating. Florence Kaiser will be the organist along with St. Joseph's Resurrection Choir. Burial will be in St. Joseph's Cemetery in the town of Eau Pleine. Members of the Stratford Lions Club will serve as pallbearers.

Visitation was held from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Friday at Sauter/Kundinger Funeral Home and will be held again on Saturday at the church from noon until time of the services.

Melvin was born on Jan 7, 1906, in Sheboygan to Henry and Anna (Gau) Guenther. He graduated from Colby, Wis. High School in 1923 and after a stint in the National Guard, he moved to Sheboygan to begin his apprenticeship in the plumbing and heating trades.

He and Victoria J. Champeau met in Sheboygan and were married on June 18, 1928, being married for more than 70 years. She died on Oct. 24, 1998.

In 1932, Melvin and Victoria moved to the town of Hull where they farmed until 1937. After living several years in Colby, they moved to Stratford in 1941 and started the Guenther Sheet Metal and Plumbing business. For 16 months during World War II, Melvin served in Canada as a civilian working on the construction of the Alaska Highway with the Army Corp of Engineers. He returned in 1944 and operated the business until the couple retired from the plumbing business in 1970. They continued to live on Second Street in Stratford.

For 23 years, Melvin served as a member of the Board of Education of Stratford Public Schools, acting as president most of those years. He served as president of the Stratford Businessmen's Association for 12 years and in his trade, served three years in state offices in the Wisconsin Master Plumbers Association, acting as president in 1963. Melvin also served as Stratford village president for 16 years and was proud of being instrumental in the creation of both the Stratford Area Fire Department and the Stratford Industrial Park. He was a very active member of the Stratford Lions Club.

Melvin is survived by his children, Joan Christiansen of Milwaukee, Robert (Maxine) Guenther of Red Bank, N.J., Richard (Irene) Guenther of Edgar and Paul Guenther of Taiwan; two daughters-in-law, Margrit Guenther of Cumberland and Kris Guenther of Edgar. He is further survived by 18 grandchildren, 28 great grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren, and a sister in-law, Erma Guenther of Merrill.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Victoria; two sons, Harold and James; two sons-in-law, Raymond Welk and Cal Christiansen; two grandchildren and one great-grandchild; one brother, Harold; and two sisters, Elvira Forbish and Erma Wiedenhoeft.

Condolences may be sent online to http:rembsfh.com