Obit: Westrich, Phillip F. Jr. #2 (1914 - 2008)

Poster: Robert Lipprandt

Email: bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Bailey, Basch, Behnke, Bjork, Dalke, Duffek, Henry, Hessefort, Hirte, Laabs, Ogle, Preston, Salaja, Schroeder, Schwarz, Stefancin, Sykes, Towne, Westrich, White, Willger, Wojdac, Updike

----Source: The Star News (Medford, Taylor Co., WI) Thursday, October 16, 2008, Online Edition

Westrich, Phillip F. Jr. (February 17, 1914 - October 12, 2008)

Phillip "Phil" F. Westrich Jr., 94, Medford, died Sunday, Oct. 12 at Memorial Nursing Home in Medford, where he had resided the past 15 months.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, Oct. 16 at 11 a.m. at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Medford, with Father Gerard Willger and Deacon Joseph Stefancin officiating. Interment will be at Perkinstown Community Cemetery. Active pallbearers will be Joe and Eric Salaja, Scott and Steve Dalke, Lynn Hessefort and Vicky Behnke. Honorary pallbearers will be Donnie Hessefort, Cathy Preston, Debbie Bjork, Stephanie Bailey, Lori Basch, Greg Westrich, Laurie Duffek, Clarence, Raymond and Jerry Sykes and Sue Updike.

Phillip Westrich was born February 17, 1914 in Perkinstown to the late Phillip and Dora (Hirte) Westrich Sr. He attended Roosevelt Elementary School in Perkinstown. After school he worked with his father at logging camps for about eight years.

On March 4, 1935 at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, he married Hazel E. Sigmund, who preceded him in death on November 26, 2007. He worked for the Civilian Conservation Corp where he planted trees and manned the fire towers for about four years, then they purchased a dairy farm in the Town of Grover that they owned and operated for 20 years until their son, Allen, purchased it from them. He then worked for the Forest Service-USDA where he was a timber cruiser until his retirement in 1972. They wintered in Arizona and fished in Canada for 20 years.
He was a member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church, past chairman for the Town of Grover and also served on the Roosevelt School Board. In his retirement he enjoyed growing Christmas trees, making firewood, hunting, fishing and traveling.

Survivors include five daughters, Nona (Al) Dalke of Monett, Mo., Janet (Don) Hessefort of Medford, Inez (James "Eddie") Sykes of Stewart, Tenn., Patricia Wojdac of New Berlin and Sandra (Joe) Salaja of Mukwonago; 17 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; and six great-great-grandchildren.

In addition to his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by a son, Allen P. in 2003; six sisters, Caroline Henry, Marie Towne, Dorothy Ogle, Erna Schroeder, Gertrude Schwarz and Lillian White; a half brother, Edward Westrich; a half sister, Verna Laabs; and a son-in-law, Thomas Wojdac in 2004.

The family requests memorials to Holy Rosary Catholic Church.

Hemer Funeral Service of Medford assisted the family with arrangements.