Obit: Meske, Joseph A. (? - 2013)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Meske, Tylka, Johnson, Johannes, Hulls

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co, WI) 11/27/2013

Meske, Joseph A. (? - 22 November 2013)

Joseph A. Meske, 89, of Chippewa Falls, WI, died on Friday, November 22, 2013, at Mayo Clinic Health System, in Eau Claire. Arrangements are pending with Cremation Society of Wisconsin.

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co, WI) 12/04/2013

Two days short of his 90th Birthday and surrounded by his family, Joe Meske passed away due to complications from pneumonia.

As a father, he instilled into his children the values and morals of his life by providing the constancy of a rich family life, family living and the foundation of a loving mother and father. As a farmer, he learned animal husbandry, carpentry, welding, plumbing, electrical work, and all manner of mechanical repair. As the owner/operator of the Lone Pine Cheese Factory, he learned biological intricacies of coagulating nature’s bounty, milk fat, into Wisconsin’s most noted product, cheese.

Joe was a renaissance man, although he would be embarrassed by the term. His interests encompassed a wide and varied range of activities.

He taught himself to play the violin and learned to play the harmonica from his mother. He experimented with painting, drawing, carving, photography, leather working, hunting, fishing, target shooting, model building and planting non-typical crops such as flax and sorghum. He was a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus, a 4-H Leader, a Hunter Safety Instructor, and he sang in the Male Chorus.

He was a good cook, leaning as a boy. He is noted for his potato soup, fried Chicken, golumpki, cowboy beans, and beef stew with fluffy dumplings. He crocheted mittens for his children and countless other children, and made fingered hunting mittens for family and friends. He learned to sew, bought a shoemaker’s sewing machine and set to make a pair of pants and shirt from leather in the style of the old west.

Joe was preceded in death by his wife and high school sweetheart Margie, grandson, Luke, and sister Dolores Tylka; and he is survived by his children: Mark and wife Denise, Paul, Ann and husband Ron Johnson, Mary and husband Bryan Johannes; grandchildren: Jessica, Emily, Joseph, and Melissa; and a sister, Theresa Hulls.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on December 6, 2013, at Holy Ghost Catholic Church, 412 South Main Street in Chippewa Falls.