Obit: Umhoefer, Paul A. (1941 - 2013)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Umhoefer, Williams, Vladick, Schwartz

----Source: Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, WI) 01/22/2013

Umhoefer, Paul A. (28 JAN 1941 - 18 JAN 2013)

Paul Anthony Umhoefer, 71, of Baraboo, passed away Friday afternoon, Jan. 18, 2013, at St Mary's hospital in Madison after a long illness.

He was born January 28, 1941, in Colby, the oldest of seven children born to Paul A. Umhoefer, Sr., and Catherine Williams Umhoefer. Paul graduated from the Holy Cross Seminary high school in La Crosse. He served in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1965 in California and Germany. Having studied German in school, he learned Polish while in the Army, and acted as a translator for the Army Security Agency. After his military service he returned home and entered the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, graduating with a BA in History.

Paul married Aural M. Vladick on June 8, 1968. They moved to Baraboo, where Aural had accepted a position at the UW-Baraboo/Sauk County while Paul continued his studies in History at UW-Madison, where he was ABD toward a PhD. Paul worked for 35 years in the T.N. Savides Library at UW-Baraboo/Sauk County until his retirement. He was a valuable resource for any campus researcher looking for help.

There were so many activities Paul enjoyed and areas of knowledge in which he was interested. He enjoyed hiking, camping, biking, cross-country skiing, canoeing and golfing before he became ill. He loved watching sports in person and on TV, especially the Badgers and the Packers. He read voraciously and had a vast storehouse of knowledge that made him everyone's coveted playing partner, and dreaded opponent, in any Trivial Pursuit game. Family and friends looked fondly on him as their personal encyclopedia. He loved to work the daily Sudoku and crossword puzzles (in ink!) in the newspapers. As a member of the Fortnightly Literary Society, he presented carefully researched papers to the group. Paul also enjoyed using his library experience as a volunteer at the Circus World Museum's Robert L. Parkinson Library and Research Center. He was a member of the American Legion, the August Derleth Society, and a number of other societies in which he was interested.

Family was a major factor in Paul's life. He was a conscientious "big brother" to his brothers and sisters. Especially after his father died in 1966, Paul actively helped his younger siblings who were still children at home. He and Aural later stood as godparents to two of their nephews. Working with his cousin, Fr. Steve Umhoefer, Paul loved to research his family's history in Wisconsin and in Germany.

Paul is survived by his wife, Aural. He is also survived by his siblings, Phil (Eileen) Umhoefer of Denver, Colo.; Mark (Sharon) Umhoefer of Madison; Ann Schwartz of Madison; Jim (Margy) Umhoefer of Sauk Centre, Minn.; Joe (Larissa) Umhoefer of Rochester, Minn.; and Meg Umhoefer of Madison; and his former sister-in-law, Sherry Umhoefer of Eden Prairie, Minn. He is also survived by numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and great and great-great-nieces and nephews, whom he loved very much.

A celebration of Paul's life will be held at noon on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 304 East St., in Baraboo, with Fr. Steve Umhoefer officiating. Visitation will take place on Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Rago-Baldwin Funeral Home, 520 East St., in Baraboo, and again on Saturday, at the church from 10 a.m. until time of service. A private interment will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Friends of the Campus (UW-Baraboo/Sauk County) for the T.N. Savides Library, or the Umhoefer Scholarship, or for the Robert L. Parkinson Library and Research Center at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo.

The family wishes to thank Dr. James Couser and Dr. Thomas Rex Flygt for their outstanding and compassionate care.