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Bio: Mertens, Michael G. (Rev.) – Appointed Clergy Personnel Director (Dec 1975)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Mertens, Freking, Kelly

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., Wis.) 01 Jan 1976

The Rev. Michael G. Mertens, pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Willard, was appointed Clergy Personnel Director by Bishop F. W. Freking, D.D., of La Crosse, after he had been elected in a consultative mail ballot by the priests of the La Crosse Diocese.

He will remain temporarily as pastor of Holy Family parish, which he has served since 1969. He succeeds the Rev. Daniel J. Kelly, who will have completed a four-year term February 1, 1976.

As personnel director, Father Mertens will be in charge of the clergy personnel office, and will direct the implementation of policies for the placement of priests and their living conditions. He will be on the cleger personnel board.

A native of Thorp, where he was born January 28, 1921, Father Mertens attended St. Bernard’s Parish School in Thorp and received his high school, college and seminary instruction at St. John’s College, Collegeville, Minnesota. He was ordained to the priesthood September 2, 1945.

After serving as associate pastor at Blessed Sacrament and St. Joseph Cathedral in La Crosse and St. Paul in Mosinee he took up graduate study at Catholic University, Washington D.C. While in La Crosse, he was also an instructor at Aquinas High School for two years.

After obtaining a Master’s degree in philosophy at Catholic University, he was appointed a teacher in philosophy at Holy Cross Seminary.

He served four years at Holy Cross Seminary, La Crosse; a year as an instructor at Regis High School, Eau Claire; three years at St. Phillips, Soldiers Grove; nine years in St. Mary’s in Viroqua and four years as Chancellor of the La Crosse Diocese before coming to Willard.

While pastor at Willard, Father Mertens was named dean of the Clark-Jackson deanery in 1974, and was also named to the board of diocesan consulters in February of this year.

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Bio: Seaman, Bruce – Promoted to Marine Corporal (Dec 1975)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Seaman

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., Wis.) 01 Jan 1976

Marine Corporal Bruce A. Seaman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Seaman of Route 3, Thorp, has been meritoriously promoted to his present rank while serving with the Force Troops, Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

He received the early promotion in recognition of his outstanding performance of duty, dedication and military bearing.

A 1968 graduate of Thorp High School, he joined the Marine Corps in April 1975.

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Bio: Gay, Rosalyn M. – UW-Oshkosh Graduate (Dec 1975)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Gay

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., Wis.) 01 Jan 1976

University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh officials have announced the names of 467 recipients of Bachelor’s degrees and 118 graduate students who received Master’s degrees at the seventh annual Mid-Year Commencement on Friday, December 12, 1975.

Among those receiving degrees from the Thorp area was Rosalyn M. Gay, Owen, with a Bachelor of Science in secondary education.

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Bio: Pagel, Debbie (Engagement – Dec 1975)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Pagel, Klapatauskas

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., Wis.) 08 Jan 1976

Miss Debbie Pagel and Julius Klapatauskas Jr. are proud to announce their engagement and forth coming marriage, which will take place as of April 24, 1976.

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Obit: Dallas, Kurt M. (1974 – 1976)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Dallas, Brockman

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., Wis.) 08 Jan 1976

Dallas, Kurt M. (1974 – 2 Jan 1976)

Kurt Michael Dallas, 18-month-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Dallas, passed away on Friday, January 2, 1976 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield.

Funeral services were held Saturday, January 3rd, 1 p.m. at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, with Rev. Francis Brockman officiating. Burial was in the parish cemetery.

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Bio: Halida, Carolyn (Engagement – Dec 1975)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Halida, Penk

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., Wis.) 08 Jan 1976

Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Halida, Lublin, announce the engagement of their daughter, Carolyn Rose, to James J. Penk, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Penk, Lublin.

Miss Halida is graduated from Owen-Withee High School and is now attending District I Technical Institute, Eau Claire. Her fiancé is graduated from Gilman High School and is presently employed by Jermar Logging Inc., Stanley.

Wedding plans are indefinite.

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Bio: Rosemeyer, Raymond R. (Birth – 1 Jan 1976)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Rosemeyer

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., Wis.) 08 Jan 1976

The first baby born in 1976 at St. Joseph’s new hospital at Chippewa Falls was to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Rosemeyer, a son at 1:09 p.m. New Year’s Day, weighing 7 pounds, 9 ounces. He was named Raymond Richard.

Unluckily, he also was born 13 hours too late as a tax deduction for 1975.

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Obit: Copenhaver, Chester K. (1899 – 1976)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Copenhaver, Robinson, Shilts, Cotts, Mikottis, Sifferath

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., Wis.) 08 Jan 1976

Copenhaver, Chester K. (26 Sep 1899 – 1 Jan 1976)

Chester Kenneth Copenhaver, age 76, resident of Stanley, Wisconsin, passed away Thursday evening, January 1, 1976 at Victory Memorial Hospital, Stanley.

He was born September 26, 1899 at Elkhart, Indiana, son of Harley and Minnie Copenhaver. He came to Stanley with his parents in 1900 and grew up in the town of Worden, Clark Co., Wisconsin. He was married to Faye Robinson on August 15, 1923 at Neillsville, Wisconsin, and after their marriage the lived and farmed in the town of Butler, Clark Co., Wisconsin for many years. She passed away in 1952. He lived there until 1970, when he moved to Stanley, where he had lived since.

Survivors include five sons, Harry of Cicero, Illinois, Thomas and James of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Robert of Thorp, and David of Chicago; three daughters, Mrs. Eugene (Mae) Shilts of Holcombe, Mrs. Hoard (Leona) Cotts of Stanley, and Mrs. Joseph (Myona) Mikottis of Altoona, Wisconsin; one brother, Wilmeth of Stanley; 22 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and his wife in 1962.

Funeral services were held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Stanley, with the Rev. Norman Sifferath officiating. Burial was made in Oakland Cemetery, Stanley.

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Obit: Bogumill, Martha M. (1889 – 1976)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Bogumill, Brost, Buehlman, Kingman, Arsenault, Kucharek, Bouchaleon, Bublitz, Bernhard, DePaul

----Source: Thorp Courier (Thorp, Clark Co., Wis.) 08 Jan 1976

Bogumill, Martha M. (28 Mar 1889 – 2 Jan 1976)

Martha M. Bogumill, 84, formerly of Gilman, died January 2, 1976 at Riverside Memorial Hospital in Waupaca. Funeral services were held Monday, January 5th at SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Gilman, with Father Frederick Brost officiating at the 10 a.m. service. Burial was made in Meadowbrook Cemetery in Gilman.

Martha Buehlman was born March 28, 1889 in New London, Wisconsin. She came to Thorp when a young girl and attended the Thorp area schools. She was united in marriage to P. L. Kingman in Redfield, South Dakota in 1947. They lived in Thorp for a time, then moved to Polley, where they ran a store. They then moved to Gilman where they ran a store for a while. After the death of her first husband she later married John G. Bogumill in 1964 in Stevens Point, where she resided until 1973, when Mr. Bogumill died and she then moved to Weyauwega.

Surviving are two step-daughters, (Margie) Mrs. Larry Arsenault of Omaha, Nebraska, (Lorrayne) Mrs. Wm. Kucharek of Lake DuBay, Wisconsin; two sisters, Mrs. Clare Bouchaleon of Texas, Mrs. Ann Bublitz of New London; one nephew, Rex Bublitz of Weyauwega; two nieces, Mrs. Renee Bernhard of Hollywood, Florida; Sister Mary DePaul of Jefferson. Besides being preceded in death by both her husbands, she was preceded in death by her parents, three sisters and one brother.

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Obit: Gehrke, Dorothy (1942- 2023)

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

Surnames: Gehrke, Sluzewski, Bechard, Cantwell, Greschner, Robertson

----Source: Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home (Owen, Clark Co., WI) 12/29/2023

Gerhke, Dorothy (14 September 1942 – 27 December 2023)

Dorothy Gehrke, 81, of Owen, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, after suffering a severe stroke five years ago.

Dorothy was born on September 14, 1942, in rural Owen. She was the daughter of Edward and Josephine Sluzewski and grew up with five siblings on a dairy farm.

Music was always a part of Dorothy’s life in various ways—teaching music classes, private piano and organ lessons, serving as choir director and as a member of the Chippewa Valley Organist Guild.

Dorothy graduated from the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire, majoring in elementary education with a minor in music. She also studied theology at Viterbo University and was a lay minister in the Catholic Church.

Dorothy and her husband, Tom, owned the Gehrke True Value Hardware store together in Owen for many years.

Dorothy had various other jobs throughout her life, including working in the personnel department for Honeywell in Minnesota (they were working on the Gemini project at the time). She was also a second grade teacher, a substitute teacher for various school districts, a volunteer EMT for the Owen Fire Department and worked in the radiology department at the Marshfield Clinic…among other things.

Dorothy loved gardening, especially all her beautiful, colorful flower gardens. And she especially loved doing anything with her grandchildren and taking road trips.

The essence of Dorothy is that she loved doing things for others and lived for her family. She will be dearly missed but leaves an incredible legacy of strength, generosity, kindness and love.

Dorothy is survived by three children: Kathleen l. Gehrke, Mark T. (Debra) Gehrke and Matthew E. (Karin) Gehrke, six grandchildren: Serena and Lucas Bechard, Halle, Shawna, and Carley Gehrke and Ava Gehrke. She is further survived by her brother: Edward (Dee) Sluzewski, sister: Joan Cantwell, sister in law: Yvonne Sluzewski.

She is preceded in death by her parents: Edward and Josephine Sluzewski, husband: Tom, brothers: Leonard Sluzewski, and Robert Sluzewski, sister: Lucille Greschner and brother in law: Dave Cantwell.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 6, 2024, at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, 1414 W. Fifth St., Marshfield. Father Douglas Robertson will officiate. A visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. until time of service Saturday at the church. Interment will follow at Riverside Cemetery in Withee. The Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home in Owen is entrusted with the arrangements.

Family and friends may express condolences online at www.maurinaschilling.com. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dorothy, please visit our floral store.

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Obit: Meyer, David W. (1943 - 2023)

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

Surnames: Meyer, Wischmeyer, MacGregor, DuBois, Noe, McGowan, Schoessow

----Source: Gesche Funeral Home (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 12/28/2023

Meyer, David W. (16 December 1943 – 25 December 2023) With Flag

David W. Meyer died peacefully at his home on December 25, 2023.

He was born on December 16, 1943, in Lester, Iowa to Wilhelm and Virginia (Wischmeyer) Meyer. In 1946 the family moved to Neillsville, where David resided for the majority of his life. He attended grade school at Meadowview School, a one room schoolhouse, followed by 7th and 8th grade at St. John's Lutheran School where he was confirmed. David went on to graduate from Neillsville High School in 1961.

David enlisted in the Navy immediately after graduation and completed his basic training at Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois. He was later stationed in Nashville, TN; San Diego, CA; and Shemya Naval Air Station, Alaska. David specialized in electronics while in the Navy and completed his service in 1964. He was incredibly proud of his military service. David enjoyed volunteering at the Neillsville American Legion Post 73 and regularly attending events at the Highground.

After leaving the Navy in 1964, David continued his education at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and earned a bachelor's degree in natural resources. He went on to work for the National Park Service in Yellowstone National Park. In the early 1980s, David returned to Neillsville where he resided until his death. He held a variety of jobs in his lifetime--dairy farming, semi-truck driving, Lynn Dairy, and foundry work.

David enjoyed collecting classic cars and military vehicles. He was a regular attendee at the Iola Car Show. David was incredibly independent and self-reliant, doing manual labor on the farm and harvesting wood for his furnace up until his death. While he would never admit it, David had a soft spot for animals, faithfully caring for his barn cats and various canine companions. He was a consistent presence at family holidays, though he famously avoided pictures. David was a long standing member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Neillsville.

David was preceded in death by his parents, Virginia and Wilhelm, brothers (Sam MacGregor and John MacGregor), and sister (Sharon MacGregor). He is survived by his sister Mary (Larry) DuBois of Neillsville; sister-in-law Karen MacGregor; nieces Kris (Adam) DuBois-Noe, Melissa DuBois, Jessica DuBois and Mary Beth McGowan; nephews Mike (Tami) MacGregor, Jamie (Debbie) MacGregor, Dan (Kari) MacGregor; and many great nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Highground or American Legion Post 73 in David's memory.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 2, 2024, at the Gesche Funeral Home in Neillsville. Pastor Daniel Schoessow will officiate. Military Rites will be accorded by the Neillsville Veteran's Council. Visitation will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Tuesday morning at the funeral home. Burial will be in Dells Dam Cemetery.

Online condolences may be made at www.geschefh.com.  Gesche Funeral Home and Cremation Service is assisting David's family with funeral arrangements.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of David Meyer, please visit our flower store.

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