Contact: History Buffs 

Surnames: Gehrke, Dozer, Wright, Chandler, Wigstadt, Tuthill 
 

----Source: Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, Wood County, Wis.) Friday, 19 June 2009 
 

Gehrke, Russell E. (22 Jan. 1963 - 17 June 2009) 
 

Abbotsford, Wis. -- Russell E. Gehrke, 46, of Abbotsford, formerly of Colby, died Wednesday, June 17, 2009, at his residence in Abbotsford, Wis. 
 

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at the Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home in Abbotsford, Wis. 
 

Friends may call from 10 a.m. until time of service Monday at the funeral home. 
 

A complete obituary will run in the Saturday edition of the News-Herald. 
 

----Source: Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, Wood County, Wis.) Saturday, 20 June 2009 
 

COLBY, WIS. --- Russell E. Gehrke, 46, of Colby, died Wednesday, June 17, 2009, at the Just Like Home Assisted Living Center in Colby, Wis. 
 

His memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, June 22, 2009, at the Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home of Abbotsford, Wis. The Rev. Clem Dozer will officiate. A private committal service will take place at Riverside Cemetery in the town of Hixon. Friends may call from 10 a.m. until time of service Monday at the funeral home in Abbotsford, Wis. 
 

Russell was born Jan. 22, 1963, the son of Julius and Opal (Tuthill) Gehrke in Illinois. He attended Colby Elementary School and graduated from Colby High School. Russell was engaged in several work projects at the Clark County Health Care Center in Owen. In his spare time, Russ loved all kinds of music. Russell was a former member of the Methodist Church in Oregon, Wis. 
 

He is lovingly survived by his parents, Julius and Opal Gehrke of Colby; his sisters: Julia (Tom) Wright of Marshfield, Deborah Chandler of Madison, and Donna (Daniel) Wigstadt of Dorchester, Wis. Russ is further survived by many nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends and his long-time companions, his dogs Teddy, Lick and Joey. 
 

Russell was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents and one nephew. 
 

Russell will be sadly missed by all those who knew him.