Surnames: Blankley, Dittrich, Jakubowski, Lehnigk, Roman, Studinger, Taylor

----Source: The Star News (Medford, Taylor Co., Wisconsin) Thursday, November 18, 2010, online edition

Roman, Gene "Skip" (April 16, 1939 - November 4, 2010)

Gene "Skip" Roman, 71, died Thursday, Nov. 4 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Ill.

Visitation followed by a memorial service will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20 at Skaja Terrace Funeral Home in Niles, Ill.

Skip was born on April 16, 1939 in Chicago to the late Eugene "Jake" and Pauline "Tootsie" (Dittrich) Jakubowski.

At every opportunity - vacations, holidays, school breaks - they would return to the Dittrich farm in Whittlesey. Skip loved the farm and considered it his second home, returning for frequent visits every year over the years.

He earned his BFA from the Art Institute of Chicago and went on to study film for his MFA at the London School of Film in England. Always the artist, in later years he was known for the unique custom handmade jewelry he designed and created.

He is survived by his wife, Kathleen (Blankley) of Chicago; a son, Jules (Ann Taylor) of Boca Grande, Fla. and their boys, Alexander, Andrew and Jacob; sisters, Gloria Studinger of Medford, Joyce Lehnigk (Tomm) of Waukesha and Janet "Muffet" Jakubowski of Albuquerque, N.M.; uncles, Carl Dittrich (Irene) of West Bend and Roman Dittrich of Whittlesey; and numerous nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be sent to the American Heart Association.