Obit: Lato, Joseph J. (1927 - 2022)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Lato, Venthanayagam, Wozniak, Soblolewski, Klemme, Spindler, Mishwit, Knauff, Griese, Sauter, Kmieciak

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., Wis.) 06 Jul 2022

Lato, Joseph J. (8 Mar 1927 - 28 Jun 2022)

Joseph “Joe" J. Lato,95, Stratford, entered into eternal life peacefully on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, at Tennyson Senior Living in Madison, Wisconsin.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held at Tuesday, July 5, 2022, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Stratford with Father Sengole Vethanayagam officiating. Burial followed at St. Hedwig New Cemetery in Thorp with grandsons serving as pallbearers.

Joe was born on March 8, 1927, in Thorp, Wisconsin, to Philip & Agnes (Wozniak) Lato. He was formally educated through the eighth grade at Jackson Country Grade School south of Thorp before leaving school to help his father run the family farm. Joe was united in marriage to Caroline Sobolewski on June 19, 1948, at St. Hedwig Catholic Church in Thorp. Together they continued farming on his parents farm until 1954 when Joe left farming to work as a telegrapher for the Chicago Northwestern railroad in southern Wisconsin.

In 1956, Joe and Carol acquired McCrory Hardware in downtown Stratford which then became known as Stratford Hardware. They owned and operated the business through 1988 and were awarded the "Citizen of the Year" award by the Stratford Area Chamber of Commerce that year. Together they raised five children in their apartment located above the hardware store. Upon selling the business, they built and moved into their retirement home in Stratford.
Joe was also an active real estate developer in Stratford. In 1970, he purchased the Dr. Otto Klemme Dental Building, remodeled it into five apartments, and rented the units until the sale of the building in 2001. In 1974, he purchased the 40-acre Carl Spindler Fur Farm, a non- operating mink farm on which was also located the former Stratford Speedway active during the 1950's and 60's, and developed it into residential lots. Lastly, in 1990, Joe developed the Stratford Mini-Storage Rentals which he and Carol operated for a decade.

Joe was a long-time member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church and a former member of the Stratford Lions Club, Stratford Businessmen's Association, Stratford Development Corporation, and Stratford Chamber of Commerce. He also served on the Stratford Village Board.

He enjoyed dancing, deer hunting, bowling, woodworking and home improvement projects. Joe was always up for a good card game with family and friends, and enjoyed spending time at their family cottage on the Big Eau FIcine Flowage over a 38 year period.

Joe is survived by his wife of 74 years, Caroline; and their children: Janice (Soud) Lato Al-Mishwit of Oconomowoc, Gary (Joan) Lato of Waukesha, Diane (Kurt) Knauff of Madison, Greg (Jennifer) Lato of San Ramon, California; and son-in-law Ron Griese of Loveland, Colorado. He is also survived by ten grandchildren: Haroun and Omar Al-Mishwit, Nicolette Griese, Bethany and Daniel Lato and Kristin Sautter Robert and Thomas Knauff, and Matthew and Caitlin Lato. He is further survived by four great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his daughter Kathleen Griese in 2001; his parents; his brothers: John and Bruno Lato; and his sisters: Anna (Lato) Kmieciak and Mary Lato in infancy.
Memorials may be designated to St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Stratford, or St. Bernard & St. Hedwig Catholic Church in Thorp.

Condolences may be sent online to www.rembsfh.com.