Obit: Elmhorst, Wendell Dean “Weny” (1930 - 2017)

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

Surnames: Elmhorst, Wegner, Botnen, Gomez, Hoback, Humphrey, Witte, Janicki, Vaughn, Anderson

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 3/01/2017

Elmhorst, Wendell Dean “Weny” (8 July 1930 – 20 February 2017)

“So, God made a farmer,” as Paul Harvey would say.

Wendell “Weny” D. Elmhorst, 86, of Neillsville died Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield due to heart failure.

Wendell Dean Elmhorst was born July 8, 1930, in Neillsville, the son of Clarence and Helen (Wegner) Elmhorst. He was united in marriage to Bonnie Botnen in 1954.

When he was a young man, he owned a canned milk route for 11 years and hauled milk for Neillsville Milk Products. He also owned a feeder pig business for 10 years, buying and selling feeder pigs from Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois, selling the business in the 1960s.

Farming was what was in his blood, having been around farming all his life, and he farmed until he was 67. The farm he owned he had bought from Rudolph Wegner (his grandfather) and has been in the family for over 100 years, having been started by his great-grandfather, William Wegner. He farmed for a total of 55 years, the last 20 years with his son and daughter-in-law, until selling the cows in 1997. The home continues to be in the family since his grandson just recently purchased it.

He loved football-watching-or playing! He played football at Neillsville High School, being Cloverbelt Conference Champions in 1947. He also loved to watch his son in high school and college and the Packers.

His wife Bonnie, who he lost 11 years ago, was the strawberries on his shortcake, the bubbles in his beer, and his trump card in Sheepshead.

Bonnie and Weny were a team, farming, and parenting four kids together. They had many a “dates” together to get an urgently needed machinery part or by taking drives in the evening looking for deer.

Weny was known by just about everyone in the Neillsville area and was liked by most. He was a guy with no frills. He worked hard most days, and when he did play, he also played hard.

He was a good-natured, kind guy with his cup always “half full” versus “half-empty” and would help anyone needing assistance. His crazy sense of humor, was only trumped by his wife’s.

His one consuming hobby was playing cards, primarily Cribbage, and Sheepshead, playing until the week before he died. His “one more hand” sometimes lasted hours into the night.

He had many beloved dogs, loving his four-legged kids just about as much as his two legged ones.

He loved strawberries! Strawberries on ice cream, strawberry jam, strawberry shortcake – strawberry anything! Don’t be trying to sneak onions in any meal, though, since he had a rabid hatred for them.

He was a deer hunter on into his 70s, but the camaraderie had much more appeal than the actual hunt.

Weny and his wife Bonnie were members of Calvary Lutheran Church in Neillsville for approximately 40 years.

Weny is survived by four children: son Scott (Connie) Elmhorst of Neillsville, their children, Rick Elmhorst (girlfriend, Michelle Gomez), Dana (Jesse) Elmhorst, Whitney (Noah) Hoback; daughter Kris (Jerry) Humphrey of Hixton, their daughter-in-law, Beth; daughter Brigette (Bruce) Witte of Neillsville; son Eric (Jena) Elmhorst of Unity, and their children, Carley, and Ross; three great-grandchildren, Dominic Elmhorst, Barrett Janicki, and Della Elmhorst. He is further survived by a brother, Ronnie Elmhorst of Marshfield, and a sister, Dianne (Clint) Vaughan, of Spencer.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, and a grandson, Jordan Humphrey.

We so miss you, Dad. We missed you before you even left.

A Memorial service will be held for Weny at 12 p.m. Friday, March 3, 2017, at the Calvary Lutheran Church of Neillsville. Pastor Chad Anderson will officiate. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday morning prior to the service at the church with a lunch to be served afterwards.

Online condolences may be made at www.geschefh.com.  Memorials may be sent to Calvary Lutheran Church. The Gesche Funeral Home is assisting Weny’s family with funeral arrangements.