Obit: Durst, Darwin Gene (1957 - 2020)

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

Surnames: Durst, Gorkowski, Meier, Ness, Scholze, Krall, Peterson, Pinson, Lorenz

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 2/12/2020

Durst, Darwin Gene (21 December 1957 – 6 February 2020)

Darwin G. Durst, "Goose", 62, of Fairchild, passed away at home in his sleep early Thursday morning Feb. 6, 2020.

Darwin Gene Durst, son of Raymond and Ilene (Gorkowski) Durst was born Dec.21, 1957, in Neillsville. He was raised with his younger brother on the family farm in Foster Township, rural Fairchild. He attended grade school in Fairchild and graduated from Osseo-Fairchild High School in 1976. In high school Goose excelled in sports, lettering in football, basketball and track. In addition to attending high school and being involved in extracurricular activities he also worked at the Standard Station in Foster. Following his graduation, he took a job on the line working with his father at the Nelson Muffler Plant in Neillsville. In 1983 Goose suffered a paraplegic spinal cord injury after being involved in a motorcycle accident. Unable to go back on the line, Nelson Muffler sent him to Chippewa Valley Technical College where he enrolled in the business management program. He returned back to the work force and had a 26 year employment with Nelson Muffler, 22 of those years in the office. After the plant closed he took his current job as the office manager in 2006 with OEM Fabrication in Neillsville. There he was given the distinction of being a "jack of all trades", as he could handle most everything that came his way. Goose was a remarkable individual who gave back to his community in so many ways. Through his involvement with the Fairchild Lions Club, he not only held several offices with the club, but was also award the Melvin Jones Fellowship as well as the Birch-Sturm Fellowship in recognition of commitment to humanitarian work through his generosity, compassion and concern for the less fortunate.

In 1997 his fellow club members awarded him with the Lion of the Year Award, and in 1992 he was given the Citizen of the Year Award from the Village of Fairchild. He had served many years on the Fairchild Village Board with some of those years as board president. He was active with the Fun Fest Days in Fairchild, was a member of the Fairchild Volunteer Fire Department and served as the fire district's treasurer. He was a member of the Fairchild Sportsmen's Club and took over most of the duties for the area Softball Association by seeing to it that the ballpark grounds were taken care of and games were scheduled. He loved softball and over the years had coached the Wayside men's and women's teams in Fairchild. He was a Green Bay Packer and Wisconsin Badger fan as well as a loyal Jeff Gordon enthusiast. Goose will definitely be remembered as the "Voice of Fairchild." If there were any type of events in the area that needed to be broadcasted, Goose held the microphone, whether it was a ball game, bowling tournament, parade etc. Whatever he announced he made it fun by keeping the crowd informed but also entertained with his comical ribbing of his friends and their comments in return.

Goose will be dearly and deeply missed by his brother, Bradley and Teresa Durst of rural Osseo; nephews, Michael (Nicole) Durst, Kyle Durst (Ashtyn Ness) all of Osseo; niece Chelsie Durst of Loyal; great nephews, Briley Durst and Korbin Durst. He is further survived by his aunts and uncles, Ella Jean Scholze, Kenneth, Robert, Daniel and Richard Gorkowski, Duane(Darlene) Gorkowski, Leroy (Carol) Gorkowski, Betty Krall, Janice Peterson and Marcella (Lee) Pinson; also many cousins; his step mother Dorothea (Meier) Durst's family; and especially all of Goose's friends who were so very special to him, but too many to mention at this time. Please know that your friendships meant the world to him, and his family is extremely grateful that you were a part of his life.

Goose was preceded in death by his mother Ilene in April of 1977; step-mother Dorothea in Feb. of 2004; and father, Raymond in June of 2015.

A visitation will be held Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Fairchild Elementary School, 220 West Main Street, where a memorial service officiated by Pastor Terry Lorenz will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Burial will be at a later date in the Fairchild Cemetery. A celebration of life will also be held Saturday evening at Bloom's Country Inn, rural Fairchild.

Online condolences can be left at www.andersonfhaugusta.com. The family is being assisted by Anderson Funeral Home in Augusta.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Goose's name may be given to any of the organizations that Goose felt so passionate about, such as the Fairchild Lions Club, Sportsmen Club, Fire Department, Osseo-Fairchild Athletic Association, or any others of your choice.