Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Schleifer, Lulloff, Boon, Brunette
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co, WI) 1/16/2019
Schleifer - Serving His Community (County Coroner - 2019)
Serving His Community
Schleifer entering 22nd year as county coroner
Richard Schleifer has served as Clark County Coroner since 1998. He said he enjoys being able to help families through his job. Valerie Brecht/Clark County Press
By Valerie Brecht
To him, it’s not just a job. It’s about serving his community and helping families at their most difficult times.
Jan. 7, Richard Schleifer was sworn in to his next term as Clark County coroner, a position he has held since 1998.
Schleifer came into the position naturally. He has many years of experience as an EMT, being one of the first people in Neillsville to get an EMT license from the state of Wisconsin. He served in Neillsville as director of the ambulance service for more than 20 years. He also spent about 15 years serving as deputy under former coroner Bob Lulloff.
“When he retired is when I was thinking about retiring and I wanted something to do, so I just ran for his position,” said Schleifer.
Schleifer said being coroner was a great retirement job because some days there might not be any calls, even if other days there might be more.
In 2005, Schleifer started training and was eventually certified by the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators. Additionally, he served on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Coroners and Medical Examiners Association (WCMEA) for four years. He has also completed continuing education classes and attended conferences throughout the years.
While he was on the WCMEA board, Schleifer worked to promote legislation that would require all Wisconsin coroners and medical examiners to possess a license to examine deceased persons. (Coroners are elected officials, while medical examiners are appointed). There is no Wisconsin law requiring a coroner or medical examiner to be licensed.
“We’re still working on it and it’s getting closer,” said Schleifer. “We want to have something mandatory in the state of Wisconsin so people that run for the coroner or medical examiner’s office are trained at what they’re doing. Because at this point, anybody can run for the coroner’s job, whether they have any [credentials]. So, we’re trying to get something standardized.”
Schleifer, for one, said he takes his job seriously. His basic tasks are to pronounce someone dead and to determine the cause of death.
Physicians and hospice nurses are also able to pronounce death, but it depends on the situation, explained Schleifer.
“If someone hasn’t been in the hospital 24 hours, the coroner has to be notified. If there’s a fall or a fracture or a trauma, the coroner has to be notified.”
Schleifer said he was appreciative of local law enforcement, which he works closely with in performing his job.
“My job is determining the cause of death with the body and the scene is up to the sheriff’s department or the police department to investigate. So, we work hand-in-hand,” he said.
Schleifer said that sometimes figuring out the cause of death is like putting together a puzzle. He may have to look at a person’s medical history or autopsy results. Depending on the circumstance, a medical autopsy or forensic autopsy may be performed. A forensic autopsy is more thorough than a medical autopsy and is performed when there are suspicions of foul play. Schleifer often works closely with the Clark County detectives, and said he was grateful for them.
Schleifer has three deputies who can also pronounce death. They all have EMT experience and one also has law enforcement experience. Schleifer said they’ve been a big help as well.
Part of the reason Schleifer has chosen to continue as coroner is it gives him something to do.”
“I’ve worked a couple jobs all my life and I’m a person where I can’t just sit still; I have to be doing something,” he said.
But beyond that, the motivation to do his job comes from a purpose bigger than himself, said Schleifer.
“It’s not about seeing accidents or anything like that; it’s about helping families after the death of someone,” said Schleifer. “If I can do one thing to help a family, then I feel I did my job – by helping people. And a lot of families, it’s a shock when there is a sudden death and they don’t really know who to call or what to do, and if you can guide them through this process and help them, that’s what I like doing. I try to treat everybody like I would like to be treated if it was me in their place.
“It’s a bad time for them, and so you try to console and answer all the questions that you are able to answer for them. We try to offer assistance to them also, like calling a clergyman or a friend to be with them,” he added.
His job is far from easy, Schleifer said.
“To say that sometimes things don’t bother you would be a lie, because they do. And you take a lot of things to heart, I guess would say.”
Nevertheless, Schleifer is glad to be able to serve his community in this role. He expressed his appreciation to the Clark County voters for supporting him for so many years and to his family for supporting him in what he likes to do.
“I do enjoy my job, and as long as the good Lord gives me the strength and the power to do it, I’ll continue for a few more years,” he said.
Schleifer’s new term will expire in 2023.
Clark County Coroner Richard Schleifer signs the oath of office after it was given by Judge Lyndsey Boon Brunette Jan. 7 at the county courthouse. He has entered another term as coroner after becoming the coroner for more than two decades. Ryan Spoehr/Clark County Press0
