Obit: O’Leary, Alton Russell #2 (1937 - 2007)

Contact:  Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: O’Leary, Lueneburg, Karnitz, Courchaine, Kalsow, Vesperman, Kopp, Putman, Stanley, Theiler

----Sources: Clark County Press (Neillsville, WI.) June 27, 2007

O’Leary, Alton Russell (Jan. 14, 1937 - June 25, 2007)

Alton O’Leary, age 70, of Humbird, Wis. died Monday, June 25, 2007 in the Palliative Care Unit of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield.

Funeral services for Alton will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 28, 2007 at the Pine Valley Zion Lutheran Church in Neillsville, Wis. Pastor Keith Lueneburg will officiate. Music will be provided by Virginia Karnitz, organist. Interment will be in the Neillsville City Cemetery with Military Rites accorded by the Neillsville Veterans Council.

Visitation will be from 5 until 8 p.m., Wednesday at the Gesche Funeral Home and from 10 until 11 a.m., Thursday at the Church.

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----Sources: Clark County Press (Neillsville, WI.) July 4, 2007

Alton O’Leary, age 70, of Humbird, died Monday, June 25, 2007 in the Palliative Care Unit of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield.

Alton Russell O’Leary was born on Jan. 14, 1937 at home in Mentor Township (Clark Co.), the son of Russell and Mable (Courchaine) O’Leary. He attended Alma Center Lincoln High School and then enlisted into the United States Navy in 1956 and was honorably discharged in 1960. Alton worked for the Northern States Power Company for 16 years following completion of Electrical Training School. During that time he was united in marriage to Edna Kalsow on Dec. 22, 1962 in Nashua, Iowa. They lived in Glenwood City, WI from 1965 to 1976, when they returned to Humbird and owned and operated the Tourist Haven Restaurant until 1997. During that time Alton also worked at the VA Hospital in Tomah, WI until his retirement in 2000.

He was a member of the Pine Valley Zion Lutheran Church in Neillsville, Wis. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, trap shooting but most of all, his home in the country and spending time with his grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife, Edna; children, Rhonda O’Leary, of Duluth, MN; John O’Leary, of Humbird; Mike (Pam) O’Leary, of Pigeon Falls, WI; and Karen (Keith) Vesperman, of Eau Claire; three grandchildren, Kyle and Stephanie O’Leary and Matthew Vesperman; one sister, Cornelia (Raymond) Kopp, of Humbird; and nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Funeral services for Alton were held Thursday, June 28, 2007 at the pine Valley Zion Lutheran Church in rural Neillsville, Wis. Pastor Lueneburg officiated. Music was provided by Virginia Karnitz, organist. Interment was in the Neillsville City Cemetery with Military Rites accorded by the Neillsville Veterans Council.

Casket Bearers were: Marvin Kopp, Rick Kopp, Allen Putman, Randy Stanley, Fred Theiler, and Kal Theiler.

The Gesche Funeral Home assisted Alton’s family with funeral arrangements.