Obit: Bartsch, Merle Fred #2 (1930 - 2011)

Contact: Dolores
Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Bartsch, Handke, Steffens, Cooper, Shavlik, Meddaugh, Helm, Schneider

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) March 23, 2011

Bartsch, Merle Fred (14 August 1930 - 18 March 2011)

Merle Bartsch, 80, of Granton died Friday, March 18, 2011, on the golf course in Fort Worth, TX.

Services are pending with the Gesche Funeral Home in Neillsville.  A full obituary will appear in next week’s edition.

Online condolences may be made at www.geschefh.com.

The Gesche Funeral home is assisting Merle’s family with arrangements.

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) March 30, 2011

Merle Bartsch, 80, of Granton died suddenly, Friday, March 18, 2011, on the golf course in Fort Worth, TX.

Merle Fred Bartsch was born Aug. 14, 1930, in Marshfield, the son of Fred and Clara (Handke) Bartsch.  He attended school at country schools in Lynn and Franklin and Zion Lutheran parochial school.  He attended Concordia Prep School in Milwaukee for two years and graduated from Granton High School.  Merle then studied for a year at the State University of Stevens Point. He then went to work at Weinbrenner’s in Marshfield.  He was employed there for 27 years, working his way up to Superintendent.  He then spend the next eight years working for the Citizen’s State Bank of Loyal in their Granton office, and lastly, Merle spent eight and one-half years at the President of Frist Choice Credit Union in Marshfield, retiring in 1996.

He was a member of the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Granton and held several offices over the years.  He volunteered at The Highground and for the Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers in Neillsville.  He was also an assistant state coordinator and instructor for the AARP safe driving course.

In his spare time, Merle liked to travel and play cards but his true passion was for golf and his family.

He is survived by his wife, Jane; five children, Connie (Gene Steffens) Bartsch of Neenah, Rick (Janeen Cooper) Bartsch of Stevens Point, Peter (Gail Shavlik) Bartsch of North Richland Hills, TX, Kay (Loren Meddaugh) Bartsch of Eagle River, AK, and Jay (Renee) Bartsch of Prescott; seven grandchildren, Timothy Bartsch, Nicholas (Jessi) Bartsch, Brett Meddaugh, Elizabeth Meddaugh, Payton Bartsch, Weston Bartsch, and Mason Bartsch; a brother, Donald (Lavonne) Bartsch of Granton; and sisters-in-law, Betty Bartsch of Plover and Margene Bartsch of Marshfield.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Fred and Leland.

A memorial service for Merle will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 31, 2011, at the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Granton.  Pastor Terry Schneider will officiate.  Music will be provided by Caroline Helm, organist.  Interment will be in the Windfall Cemetery in Granton.  Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Gesche Funeral home in Neillsville and from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday at the church.

Online condolences may be made at www.geschefh.com .

The Gesche Funeral Home is assisting Merle’s family with funeral arrangements.