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Obit: Babich, Mary Alice (1956 - 2024)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Babich, Van Slett, Allmann, Ottelien, Masanz, Cooper, Gorke, Weber

----Source: Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home (Abbotsford, Clark Co., WI) 2/7/2024

Babich, Mary Alice (14 May 1956 – 6 February 2024)

Mary A. Babich, age 67, of Abbotsford, passed away surrounded by her loving family on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at Colby Senior Care under the tender care of St. Croix Hospice.

Mary was born on May 14, 1956, the daughter of Edward and Marie (Van Slett) Allmann in Marshfield. She graduated from Colby High School in 1974. On June 25, 1977, Mary was united in marriage to Daniel Babich at St. Mary Catholic Church in Colby. He preceded her in death on June 5, 2021.

Mary worked as an Appointment Coordinator at Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield and later in Colby for over 30 years. She loved to sew and make crafts of all kinds. Mary also enjoyed her flower and vegetable gardens. She and Dan liked to travel, especially to Arizona to visit family and she also looked forward to her sisters weekends. Most importantly, Mary cherished her family, especially her grandchildren.

Mary is survived by her two children: Scott (Beth) of Colby and Nicole (Tim) Ottelien of Hewitt; five grandchildren: Landon, Norah, Sullivan, Tayt and Iris. She is further survived by her siblings: Carol (Dick) Masanz of Stratford, Greg (Diane) Allmann of Mukwonago, Robert (Sheryl) Allmann of Wauwatosa, Julie (Ron) Cooper of Colby, Richard (Debby) Allmann of Colby, Melanie (Mark) Gorke of Webster, and Jenny (Pete) Weber of Colby; nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Daniel; and sister at birth, Kathleen.

A Celebratory Gathering will be held from 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 17, 2024, followed by a Time of Remembrance at the Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home in Abbotsford. Interment to be held at the Colby Memorial Columbarium.

Family and friends may express condolences online at www.maurinaschilling.com. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary , please visit our floral store.

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Obit: Weis, Yvonne (1939 - 2024)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Weis, Ringquist, Golden, Luikaart, Scholcoff, Hoesly, Krabbe, Potter, Powers

----Source: Marshfield News-Herald (Marshfield, Wood Co., WI) 2/8/2024

Weis, Yvonne (9 November 1939 – 5 February 2024)

Yvonne (Ringquist) Weis of Davis, IL, passed away on February 5, 2024, after a short illness.

Yvonne was born on November 9, 1939, in Spencer, to Earl and Gladys Ringquist. She grew up on a dairy farm and attended Spencer schools. On October 12, 1957, she married the love of her life, Ronald Weis. They were soon joined by a son, Chris. And a few years later, daughter Denise made their family complete. Yvonne and Ron raised their family in Beloit, and later, South Beloit, IL. After retirement, the couple made their home in the community of Lake Summerset outside of Durand, IL.

Yvonne was a classic 1960s Mom - filling her children's lives with learning opportunities, excellent homemade meals, and long road trips in the family station wagon. She was a Cub Scout and Brownie leader while her kids were involved. Eventually she went to work for the Prairie Hill Grade School as a "lunch lady." In those days, the cooks made homemade meals for the students and Yvonne was long remembered for her homemade, from-scratch cinnamon rolls. She had a lifelong love of cooking and baking. She published her own compilation of recipes called "Everyone's Cookbook" in the early 1970s. She was also an accomplished seamstress, creating numerous comforters, craft items, and doll clothes. She also worked in ceramics and stained glass.

Yvonne and Ron were frequent travelers over the years and enjoyed trips to Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Norway, Sweden, Russia, etc. They had a summer home in Cambridge, WI, during the 1980s. In the early 2000s they began spending their winters in Apache Junction, AZ, where they reconnected with old friends who were also escaping the cold Wisconsin winters.

Yvonne was pre-deceased by her parents, Earl and Gladys; her brothers, Ray and Alvin Ringquist; and her sister, Elaine Golden. She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Ron Weis; her children Chris (Deb) Weis, and Denise Luikaart; grandchildren Dustin Weis (Cecilia Scholcoff), Katie (Tim) Hoesly, Taylor Weis, Eric Luikaart, and Emilee (Brandon) Krabbe; and seven great-grandchildren. She is further survived by her sisters, Betty Potter and Garnell Powers, along with numerous sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, and nephews.

The family wants to thank the staff of SSM Health Hospice Home for their kindness, compassionate care and professionalism.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to SSM Monroe Hospice Home or St. Mary's Catholic Church in Durand, Il.

Visitation will be held on Monday, February 19, 2024, at McCorkle Funeral Home, 101 Main St. Durand, IL from 8 to 10 AM, followed by a 10:30 AM mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 303 Main St. A committal ceremony will be held at St. Mary's Cemetery at 11:30 AM across the street from the church. There will be a luncheon served in the church basement following the ceremony.

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Bio: Buddenhagen, Troy Allan (Graduate - 1985)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Buddenhagen, Bryan

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/6/1985

Buddenhagen, Troy Allan (Graduate - 1985)

Troy Allan Buddenhagen graduated with honors on Friday, May 24 from commercial art and visual communication at W.W.T.I. in La Crosse. Troy is the son of Byrl and Sharon Buddenhagen, Neillsville. His grandparents are Mrs. Cecelia Bryan, and Leland and Vera Buddenhagen, both of Neillsville.

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Bio: Roberts, Glenn (Plaque - 1985)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Roberts, Eddy

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/6/1985

Roberts, Glenn (Plaque - 1985)

Receiving a plague honoring him for his donations to the Neillsville Dairy Fest this past weekend, was Glenn Roberts, owner and operator of Russell’s Furniture. Roberts has generously allowed the Dairy Fest to use his parking lot and electricity for their activities. The award was presented to Roberts by Harold “Hap” Eddy, chairman of the Dairy Fest Committee.

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Bio: Robinson, Dawn (Honor Roll - 1985)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Robinson

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/6/1985

Robinson, Dawn (Honor Roll - 1985)

Dawn Robinson, 1007 E. Second St., Neillsville, was among some 1677 UW-Whitewater undergraduate students who were named to the honor roll for academic achievement for second semester of the 1984-85 academic year.

Students on the honor roll must have a semester grade point average of at least 3.4 on a scale which 4.0 is equal to “A.” They also must have carried at least 12 credits with no grade below “C.”

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Obit: Bezlyk, John (1925 - 1985)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Bezlyk, Berrzhna, Sabenena, Campbell, Bodner, Konrad, Hodynski

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/6/1985

Bezlyk, John (13 September 1925 – 29 May 1985)

Loyal resident, John Bezlyk, 59, died Wednesday, May 29, at Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire, following a brief illness. Vicar Rev. Nikolai Hodynski, of Holy Trinity Ukranian Orthodox Church-Lynn, officiated at services held Monday, June 3, with burial in the Neillsville City Cemetery. Pallbearers were relatives and friends. Mr. Bezlyk was a member of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Son of Anton and Mary (Berrzhna), the deceased was born September 13, 1925, in Ukrainia. Following his education, he immigrated to the United States and arrived in New York on September 10, 1943. He later married Anna Sabenena, February 17, 1957, in Chester, Pennsylvania. They resided in Pennsylvania until 1961, when they moved to Chicago. In 1975, they settled in their present home in the Town of York, and the deceased began working for Nelson Muffler Corp., Neillsville, where he was employed until his death.

Surviving are his wife and one daughter, Mrs. Michael (Sandy) Campbell, Ft. Worth Texas; two sisters, Mrs. Michael (Zena) Bodner, West Chicago, Mrs. Eugene (Lida) Konrad, Park Ridge, Illinois; two brothers, Anton Bezlyk, Chili, Alexander Bezlyk, Ukraine and three grandchildren. His parents preceded him in death.

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Obit: Gaffney, Jane “Toni” (1939 - 1985)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Gaffney, McKee

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/6/1985

Gaffney, Jane “Toni” (21 May 1939 – 26 May 1985)

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, May 29, for Jane “Toni” Gaffney who passed away at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield on Sunday, May 26. Fr. Joseph Henseler, of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Neillsville, officiated at the service, in Owen, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Interment was in Riverside Cemetery, Withee.

She was born May 21, 1939, in Marshfield, the daughter of Richard and Alice (McKee) Gaffney. A 1960 graduate of Owen-Withee High School, she moved to Neillsville in 1965, where he father served as a judge for Clark County.

For a few years she was employed as a tax consultant for H&R Block, and also sold wedding supplies in her home. During the past several years she served as legal guardian for a number of Clark County residents. She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Neillsville.

Surviving are three sisters, Janet Thomas, Stoughton, Kathleen Gaffney, Richfield, Minnesota, and Colleen Johnson, Neillsville; and three brothers, Richard, Wisconsin Rapids, Patrick, Willard, and Timothy, Minneapolis. Preceding her in death were her parents and one sister, Susan Johnson in 1980.

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Obit: Hansen, Esther (1895? - 1985)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Hansen, Buck, Sanderson, Dean

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/6/1985

Hansen, Esther (1895? - 31 May1985)

A memorial service for Mrs. Esther Hansen was held Sunday, June 2, at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point where she served 22 years as its “first lady.”

Mrs. Hansen, 90 of 508 McDill Ave., Whiting, died at home early Friday after an illness of about five months. Her body was cremated.

Memorials may be sent to the US-SP Foundation.

From 1940 to 1962, while her husband, William C., served as the seventh president of UW-SP, she was responsible for planning and being hostess for many of the school’s major social events.

She and her husband lived from 1917 to 1922 at Milltown where he was the high school principal, and from 1922 to 1929 at Neillsville, 1929 to 1932 at Oconto, and 1932 to 1940 at Stoughton, where in each community, he was the school superintendent.

Her survivors are four daughters, Helen I. Hansen of 508 McDill Ave., Whiting; E. Ann Buck, 5178 Highway 54, Plover, Ruth Charlotte Sanderson, East Jordan, Michigan; and Kay Dean, Wausau. There are eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Besides her husband, two brothers preceded her in death.

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Obit: Skar, Oscar (1906 - 1985)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Skar, Kolbrak, Kramp, Stuck, Ottoson, Thompson, Brandstedter, Rosenbach, Zingelman

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/20/1985

Skar, Oscar (11 March 1906 – 3 June 1985)

Funeral services were held Thursday, June 6, at the Jensen Funeral Home, Hixton, for Oscar Skar, 79. He passed away at his home on Monday, June 3. Rev. Erik Zingelman officiated, and burial was made in Oakwood Cemetery, Merrillan.

He was born March 11, 1905, in Merrillan, the son of Christ R. and Elvina (Kolbrak) Skar. Violet Kramp became his wife in Winona, Minnesota, on November 4, 1929. For forty years he was a maintenance worker for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad.

Survivors include his wife; a son, Albert, of Black River Falls; a daughter, Audrey Stuck, of Chicago; four sisters, Margaret Ottoson, Fall Creek, Isabelle Thompson, Neillsville, Clara Brandstedter, Beloit, and LaVerne Rosenbach of Merrillan, ten grandchildren and seventeen great grandchildren.

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Obit: Thoma, Nina M. (1896 - 1985)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Thoma, O’Brian, Parrett, Bardell, Musil, Stanley, Voll

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/20/1985

Thoma, Nina M. (16 March 1896 – 10 June 1985)

Nina M. Thoma, passed away on Monday, June 10, at Neillsville Memorial Hospital. She had been ill for a short time. Since November 1983, she had been a resident of Neillsville Memorial Home.

Nina was born the daughter of John and Margaret (O’Brian) Parrett on March 16, 1896, in the Town of York. She was educated there and attended the Parrett School. Working with her parents of the home farm, she married Clarence Bardell on June 2, 1915, at Greenwood. They farmed in the Townships of York and Weston until 1941, when they moved to Waukegan, Illinois for five years. Returning to Neillsville, they resided here until his death in October 1970. She married Carl A. Thoma, in Neillsville, on June 1, 1972. He also preceded her in death on October 31, 1983,

Surviving are her son, Wilbur Bardell, of Wildwood, Florida; a sister, Gladys Parret, Neillsville; two brothers, Clifford Parrett, Wisconsin Rapids, and John Parrett, Colton, California; three grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren. Preceding her in death, besides her husbands, are two brothers, Keith and Raymond.

Services were held on Thursday, June 13, at Gesche Funeral Home, with Rev. Mark Voll officiating. Pallbearers were friends and neighbors. Iris Musil was accompanist and Marie Stanley, vocalist. Burial was made in the Neillsville City Cemetery.

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Obit: Watenpuhl, Gertrude E. (1911 - 1985)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Watenpuhl, Smith Frank, Roatch, Underdahl

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/20/1985

Watenpuhl, Gertrude E. (21 September - 1985)

Mrs. Gertrude E. Watenpuhl, of Madison, died Monday, June 10, at the age of 73. Funeral services were held Thursday, June 13 at the Tuschen Funeral Home, Sun Prairie. Interment was in Roselawn Cemetery, Monona.

She was born in Fairchild, on September 21, 1911, the daughter of John and Anna (Smith) Frank. She was a member of Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Survivors include two sons, Robert and Reinhold, both of Madison; two daughters, Mrs. Calvin (Delores) Roatch, of Rio, and Mrs. Richard (Carol) Howe, Madison; one sister, Mrs Leland (Cora) Underdahl, Rio; one brother, Richard Frank, of Cadott; a sister-in-law, Mrs. Leila Frank, Sun Prairie, eleven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert H. Watenpuhl, in 1951.

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Obit: Ziegler, Frances (1919 - 1985)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Ziegler, Ball, Nash, Brewer, Martell, Zank, Voll

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/20/1985

Ziegler, Frances (25 November 1919 – 12 June 1985)

Mrs. Alvin (Frances) Ziegler, 65, passed away on Wednesday, June 12, at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield, following a brief illness. She resided at Rt. 1 Neillsville, in the Township of Pine Valley.

Born in Abingdon, Virginia, on November 25, 1919, she was the daughter of Tom C. and Lilly May (Ball) Nash. Following her education there, she worked in Bristol, Tennessee area until her marriage to Daniel Brewer on Mayh 29, 1938 at Pulaski, Virginia. They moved to Washington, D.C., are where they owned and operated a cleaning service. In 1943, they arrived in Neillsville and operated Dan’s Cleaners, until the death of her husband on August 19, 1969. She continued to operate the business until 1970.

On July 3, 1971, she married Alvin H. Ziegler, in Neillsville, and they continued to live here until her death.

Surviving besides her husband, Alvin, are one daughter, Mrs. Daniel (Phyllis) Martell, Anaheim, California; two stepsons, Gary Ziegler, Milwaukee, and James Ziegler, Marshfield; four sisters; four brothers; two grandchildren and 5 step-grandchildren.

Rev. Mark Voll, of the United Church of Christ, officiated at funeral services held on Saturday, June 15 at Gesche Funeral Home. Eileen Zank was music accompanist. Burial was made in Glenwood Cemetery, Bristol, Tennessee.