Obit: Spath, Warren F. (1925 - 2013)

Contact: Robert Lipprandt
bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Babler, Baker, Barlow, Bishop, Fruittrell, Gonnering, Graham, Greiser, Jahrmarkt, Kirkpatrick, Melvin, Molacek, Selbach, Spath, Steil, Wiese

----Source: The Star News (Medford, WI) 05/09/2013

Spath, Warren F. (21 FEB 1925 - 3 MAY 2013)

Warren F. Spath, age 88, of Medford, passed away on Friday, May 3, 2013 at his home in Medford.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 9 at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Stetsonville. Rev. James Babler will officiate. A visitation will be held on Wednesday, May 8 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Maurina Schilling Funeral Home in Abbotsford and again on Thursday from 10 a.m. until the time of services at the church in Stetsonville.

Burial will follow the service at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery in Stetsonville.

Warren was born on February 21, 1925 to Clarence and Lorena (Jahrmarkt) Spath in Nebraska.

Warren and Arlene Buckendahl were joined in marriage on October 6, 1946 in Norfolk, NE. They farmed in Nebraska until 1958 when they moved to Wisconsin where Warren farmed for 20 years in the Little Black Township. He moved to Dorchester in 1978 and worked as a custodian for Dorchester Elementary School for 14 years until retiring in 1992. Warren and Arlene celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1996.

Warren enjoyed playing cards and trips to the casino. Most of all he enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Warren is survived by his daughter, Shirley (Leon) Gonnering of Marshfield; his sons, Melvin Spath of Eau Claire, Merlin Spath of Lisle, Ill., and Lynn (Glenda Wiese) Spath of Medford; and his grandchildren, Kari (Andrew) Selbach of Winston-Salem, N.C., Heather (Andrew) Melvin of Greendale, Adam (Pauline) Gonnering of Zimmerman, Minn., Jody (Scott) Graham of Plymouth, Mass., Jason (Ashley) Barlow of Mesa, Ariz., Tracey (Jason) Baker of Eaton, N.Y., Misty (Marlon) Fruittrell of Alpharetta, Ga., and Daniel Bishop.

Warren is further survived by his great-grandchildren, Lauren and Nathan Selbach, Katelyn and Ryan Melvin, Gracie, Emma, Ethan and Evan Baker, Carson and Ella Fruittrell, Preston Barlow and Isabelle, Sophia and Olivia Graham; his sister, Ruth Steil of Scribner, Neb.; his sisters-in-law, Helen Spath of North Bend, Neb., Dorothy Kirkpatrick of St. Joseph, Mo., and Betty Molacek of Columbus, Neb.

Warren is preceded in death by his wife, Arlene, his brother, Harold Spath, and sister, Ardene Greiser.

The Maurina Schilling Funeral Home of Dorchester assisted the Spath family with funeral arrangements.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to Hope Hospice for the care that was provided.

A memorial will be established in Warren's name at a later date.