Church: Owen – Holy Rosary (Father H.L. Crubel Leaves – 1970)

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Crubel, Treacy

---------Source: OWEN ENTERPRISE (Owen, Clark County, Wis.) 02 Jul 1970

Sunday Father H.L. Crubel preached his farewell sermon to parishioners of Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Owen (Clark Co., Wis.), a parish he had served for 18 years. Members of his parish and friends then enjoyed a potluck dinner in the parish dining hall, after which he received well-wishers during an "open house" program held from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Effective July 1, 1970 he assumed charge of St. John's Church at Cook's Valley, eight miles west of Bloomer on Highway 40. In fact his transfer to that parish is more or less a switch of assignment, as its rector is coming to Owen.

A native of Bloomington, Grant County, Wisconsin, Father Crubel received his theological training at St. John's College, Collegeville, Minn., and was ordained a priest May 18, 1940.

From 1940 to 1948 he was an assistant pastor at Holy Trinity Church and St. Joseph's Cathedral, both in La Crosse, and during this period he helped with plans for construction of a new cathedral in La Crosse under the late Bishop John P. Treacy.

Following this assignment to Owen-Withee he directed the merger of Sacred heart Church of Withee and Holy Family Church in Owen into a single parish renamed Holy Rosary. A new set of building midway between the two communities was completed in 1954. The parish operates an elementary school.

Father Crubel celebrated his silver jubilee as a priest in 1965. During his 18 years of residency in the Owen-Withee community he has been active in civic as well as religious activities.